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Children & Family

Which essential oils are safe to use on kids and babies? And what about the lovely new blend you just got from your favorite essential oil company? Is it safe to use? Find out in this post, as well as discover best practices for using essential oils safely around babies and kids.
Safe Essential Oils for Babies & Kids
Want an herbal tea that will help you kick your cold or flu to the curb AND is safe to drink during pregnancy? Here's a delicious recipe that will bring relief with each sip.
Cold & Flu Tea for Pregnancy
This is a GREAT activity to do with your kids, as it will foster the joy of discovery in both kids AND adults for years to come. Seriously a great idea!
What to plant in your garden to attract the prettiest birds
Writing a will is one of the most important things you can do as a parent - and it's not for the reason you might think. Read this insightful article for a few insights you may not have thought of.
Writing a Will: What Every Parent Needs to Know
Books are cherished friends who take you on daring adventures and offer sweet solace - gift your children these beloved boxed sets!
Boxed Book Sets for Kids of All Ages
Ethical, organic, all-natural candy for all your chocolate holidays!
Where to Find Ethically Sourced Chocolate Candy for Halloween
If your children are already overrun with toys - or you're just wanting the best creative, innovative options for playtime - this non-toy gift list is a fantastic place to start.
21+ MORE Non-Toy Gifts for Children
Need an idea (or two) for a Father's Day gift? Look no further! These eight creative ideas will certainly get your gift-giving juices flowing.
Father's Day Gift Ideas: 8 Great Gifts for Dad You Can't Get in Stores
Father's Day Gift Idea: Make a sweet keepsake book about Dad!
Father's Day Gift Idea: Make Your Own Book About Dad
Kids love to help in the kitchen - but so often we're stuck with knife options that are either two blunt (and thus slip off the food) or too sharp (and can easily cause harm). Thus, here's a list of a few GREAT options for knives KIDS can use - and actually cut their food!
Safe, Kid-Friendly Knives That Actually Cut
Good teachers are worth their weight in gold. So why not thank them in ways that they'll truly appreciate? This article reveals some of teachers' favorite gifts to receive - as well as a few to avoid.
Teacher Gift Ideas: 12 Thoughtful Gifts Teachers Will Appreciate (and 8 to Avoid)
Mother's Day harkens to a deeper, wider, more lovely purpose....
A Different Kind of Mother's Day
Family Movie Night is a great way to connect as a family - here are 10 EXCEPTIONAL films to share together!
10 Exceptional Family-Friendly Movies to Watch with Your Kids
DIY Massage Oil: a gift for yourself, a loved one, or to give for a wedding! It's simple to make, easily customizable, and makes every relaxation or special-day romance extra-special.
DIY Massage Oil
Fruit salad cups that kids can make themselves! What a great way to get them involved at snacktime, breakfast time, or dessert time!
Super-Fun Fruit Salad Cups Kids Can Make Themselves
Want to create a beautiful, classy Christmas in your home but want to be so so frugal? Here are 12+ fabulous ideas for keeping Christmas frugal AND festive!
12+ Simple Decorations for a Frugal, Classy, Festive Christmas
Who says candy is the only treat we can give out on Halloween? Here are few ideas to get you started.
Non-Candy Treats for Trick or Treaters
Use our simple method to make thick, sweet, luscious homemade applesauce and apple butter. You won't regret it!
Homemade Applesauce & Homemade Apple Butter (and why organic apples matter)
Are you giving your children the right amount of medicine? Too little won't reap benefits and too much can be harmful, so use our handy formulas to give the right amount every time!
How to Know If You're Dosing Your Child Correctly with Herbal Tinctures
Making time for family activities is more important (and more fun) than you know! Here are 10 great ideas for autumn.
10 Meaningful Yet Unexpectedly Fun Family Activities for Fall
Healthy homemade lunchables make lunch packing SIMPLE, whether you or your child is doing the packing! There's also a TON of printable info in this post to help your kids be able to pack their own healthy lunch, including a handy-dandy printable. (I hang mine on the inside of the lunch supplies cupboard.) :)
How to Teach Your Child to Pack Their Own Healthy Lunch + Healthy Homemade Lunchables
Essential Advice from a Reluctant Veteran Homeschooler
Essential Advice From A Veteran Homeschooler
Getting to sleep and sleeping WELL can be difficult when it's the end of a super-hot day. These tips will help your kiddos get comfortable and get to sleep.
7 Tips to Help Kids Sleep When It's Blisteringly Hot
Do you know how to teach your children to be safe around water, both in and out of the water? Use our quick lessons for a refresher on water safety.
3 Water Safety Lessons Every Kid Should Know
Husbands and wives don't always see eye to eye (on a lot of things, actually), so here are three important secrets to keep in mind while winsomely winning over your loved one.
The 3 Secrets to Getting Your Spouse On-Board with Real Food (and other crazy ideas)
Did you know massage can transform your marriage? Give it try and see what it does for YOU.
How Massage Can Revolutionize Your Marriage
Squeezable Homemade Toothpaste for Kids - safe and yummy, too!
Squeezable Homemade Children's Toothpaste
Teach your child how to swim safely and how to ENJOY swimming! This isn't just a fun activity - it's an essential life-skill that might someday keep them alive.
Safety First: Three Lessons To Help Your Kids Become Strong, Safe Swimmers
Make your own additive-free homemade cake mix! Whip up cakes and cupcakes in minutes, just like a boxed mix.
DIY Yellow Cake Mix
It's not a bad thing when our kids lose - in fact, it's quite necessary. Especially when your kids are awesome. :)
Why We Taught Our Kids to Lose (and why you should too)

DIY

Did you know that recent studies have shown that theobromine, the main chemical constituent in chocolate, has been proven to be more effective for cough relief than codeine? And not only that, but this cough syrup is SERIOUSLY TASTY - kids and adults alike will absolutely love the flavor AND find relief.
Mexican Hot Chocolate Cough Syrup for Kids (of all ages)
Infusing herbs in oil is super-simple and takes just a few minutes. And once you have your infused oils, you can create all sorts of natural remedies that are potent and effective. Definitely try one of these simple and natural techniques today!
How to Infuse Oils with Herbs for Natural Remedies
This soothing After Sun Spray is designed to cool, heal, and bring relief after a day in the sun. Give yourself some welcome relief when your skin feel tired after a long day!
After Sun Spray
Corn dogs have gotten a bad rap - trans fats, poor quality meats, you name it. But they don't have to be that way! They're delicious and meet all your nutritional and ethical criteria when you make them at home. (My sister prefers making them with veggie dogs, but my favorite is free range sustainable beef. What's yours?)
Homemade Corn Dogs
This basic and SUPER-simple stir fry sauce can be used for anything from chow mein to egg roll dipping sauce - it's very versatile! And even better, you just mix everything up in a jar and you're good to go for months.
Basic All-Purpose Chinese Stir-Fry Sauce
Making perfect lemon curd isn't difficult - and we show you how.
How to Make Perfect Lemon Curd
Homemade DIY Root Stimulant
How to Make Natural, Homemade Root Stimulant
Make your own healthy DIY popcorn oil for delicious popcorn!
Homemade Movie-Style Popcorn Oil
Make homemade potting soil - it's easier than you think!
How to Make Homemade Potting Soil
DIY Massage Oil: a gift for yourself, a loved one, or to give for a wedding! It's simple to make, easily customizable, and makes every relaxation or special-day romance extra-special.
DIY Massage Oil
Fruit salad cups that kids can make themselves! What a great way to get them involved at snacktime, breakfast time, or dessert time!
Super-Fun Fruit Salad Cups Kids Can Make Themselves
Want to create a beautiful, classy Christmas in your home but want to be so so frugal? Here are 12+ fabulous ideas for keeping Christmas frugal AND festive!
12+ Simple Decorations for a Frugal, Classy, Festive Christmas
Use our simple method to make thick, sweet, luscious homemade applesauce and apple butter. You won't regret it!
Homemade Applesauce & Homemade Apple Butter (and why organic apples matter)
Homemade Caramel Corn - with all-natural ingredients and WITHOUT any of the junk :)
Homemade Caramel Corn
Homemade garam masala is the spice crown jewel of East Indian cuisine and absolutely makes curries SING. This spice blend uses easy-to-find ingredients & mixes up in less than 5 minutes.
Homemade Garam Masala
Healthy homemade lunchables make lunch packing SIMPLE, whether you or your child is doing the packing! There's also a TON of printable info in this post to help your kids be able to pack their own healthy lunch, including a handy-dandy printable. (I hang mine on the inside of the lunch supplies cupboard.) :)
How to Teach Your Child to Pack Their Own Healthy Lunch + Healthy Homemade Lunchables
Summertime is a time of bounty - so here's a thoroughly packed guide to how to preserve pretty much ANYTHING - from apples, bamboo shoots, and cherry blossoms to salmon, yams, and zucchini!
The Ultimate Preservation Guide: How to Preserve {Pretty Much} Anything
Homemade Vitamin C Powder - a potent, super-de-duper easy DIY supplement
Homemade Vitamin C Powder
S'mores made from all real food ingredients - finally, a treat you can feel good about!
Real Food S'mores
This sweet & perky homemade lemonade concentrate is your all-natural, ready-to-mix lemonade free of high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors. Mix some up today!
Homemade Lemonade Concentrate
Squeezable Homemade Toothpaste for Kids - safe and yummy, too!
Squeezable Homemade Children's Toothpaste
Grow a garden you'll love - and actually use! These tips will help you figure out what kind of garden YOU'd like to grow.
How to Grow a Garden You'll Actually Use
Make your own additive-free homemade cake mix! Whip up cakes and cupcakes in minutes, just like a boxed mix.
DIY Yellow Cake Mix
Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar
My All-Purpose, All-Natural Daily Cleaner
Making your own chocolate bars takes mere minutes!
Homemade Fair Trade Chocolate Bars
Homemade Oreos - our secret ingredient makes all the difference!
Homemade Oreos – the right way
THE BEST (and I don't say that lightly) Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix with Homemade Mini-Marshmallows to boot :)
DIY Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix + Homemade Mini-Marshmallows
Homemade Mulling Spices - scent your holiday with the warmth of the season
Homemade Mulling Spices
Make homemade evaporated milk and homemade sweetened condensed milk - the easy way!
How to Make Homemade Evaporated Milk and Sweetened Condensed Milk (the Easy Way)

Natural Remedies

Which essential oils are safe to use on kids and babies? And what about the lovely new blend you just got from your favorite essential oil company? Is it safe to use? Find out in this post, as well as discover best practices for using essential oils safely around babies and kids.
Safe Essential Oils for Babies & Kids
Want an herbal tea that will help you kick your cold or flu to the curb AND is safe to drink during pregnancy? Here's a delicious recipe that will bring relief with each sip.
Cold & Flu Tea for Pregnancy
Did you know that recent studies have shown that theobromine, the main chemical constituent in chocolate, has been proven to be more effective for cough relief than codeine? And not only that, but this cough syrup is SERIOUSLY TASTY - kids and adults alike will absolutely love the flavor AND find relief.
Mexican Hot Chocolate Cough Syrup for Kids (of all ages)
How do you choose a brand of essential oil that is safe? We answer all your questions and provide a thoughtful checklist to evaluate every new purchase so you're happy with every single brand you buy.
How to Choose the Best Essential Oil Brand
Infusing herbs in oil is super-simple and takes just a few minutes. And once you have your infused oils, you can create all sorts of natural remedies that are potent and effective. Definitely try one of these simple and natural techniques today!
How to Infuse Oils with Herbs for Natural Remedies
Sugar is delicious, but it's at the root of many of our most disastrous health issues. Use these healthy sugar alternatives to take control of how much sugar you (and your family) eat!
21 Healthy Alternatives to Sugar
This soothing After Sun Spray is designed to cool, heal, and bring relief after a day in the sun. Give yourself some welcome relief when your skin feel tired after a long day!
After Sun Spray
Are you giving your children the right amount of medicine? Too little won't reap benefits and too much can be harmful, so use our handy formulas to give the right amount every time!
How to Know If You're Dosing Your Child Correctly with Herbal Tinctures
As parents, it's essential to be intentional and mindful when it comes to our children's health. Essential oils can EASILY be misused, so print this 1-page essential oil safety chart and hang it where you can reference it easily!
The PRINTABLE Guide to How to Use Essential Oils Safely
Homemade Vitamin C Powder - a potent, super-de-duper easy DIY supplement
Homemade Vitamin C Powder
Getting to sleep and sleeping WELL can be difficult when it's the end of a super-hot day. These tips will help your kiddos get comfortable and get to sleep.
7 Tips to Help Kids Sleep When It's Blisteringly Hot
Squeezable Homemade Toothpaste for Kids - safe and yummy, too!
Squeezable Homemade Children's Toothpaste
9 Ways to Eat More Leafy Greens in Winter
A superb smoothie for detoxing, whether it's for long-term health or just nursing yourself back to health....
New Year Detox Smoothie
35+ simple and creative ways to get more gelatin in your diet | NourishingJoy.com
35+ Simple Ways to Eat More Gelatin
Bare Belly Natural Sunscreen: A True Alternative to Conventional Sunscreen
SckoonPads: A Beautiful, Organic, Fair-Trade Menstrual Option
SckoonPads: Is this Beautiful, Organic, Fair-Trade Menstrual Option Worth It?
The #1 Reason We All Need to Eat More Gelatin | NourishingJoy.com
The #1 Reason We All Need to Eat More Gelatin
It Worked for Me! Natural Living Tips from the Trenches
A soothing and healing burn salve for sunburns and minor everyday burns | NourishingJoy.com
DIY Burn Cream: A Healing, Soothing Burn Salve for Everyday Burns
DIY Homemade Natural Roll-on Sunscreen | NourishingJoy.com
Homemade Roll-on Sunscreen Stick
Dry skin brushing promotes vibrant health - if you haven't tried it before, here's a simple step by step to get you started.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Dry Skin Brushing
10 Reasons Clay Should Be in Every Mama's Cupboard
Cinnamon & Clove Tooth Powder
Non-Toxic, Homemade Diaper Cream
Did you know it's totally possible to make your favorite store-bought favorites at home for a fraction of the price and using only wholesome ingredients! Here's how I do it (and I've written two books and counting full of homemade pantry staple recipes!)
How to Reverse Engineer Your Favorite Processed Foods to Make Them Healthier
In Memoriam: John Nickel, the Gentleman Cowboy Who Bucked the Status Quo
Homemade Bug Spray and Insect Repellents
Homemade Chewable Gummy Vitamins
Homemade Calamine Lotion

Real Food Recipes

Make creamy, fluffy, perfect mashed potatoes easily by using the Instant Pot!
Perfect Mashed Potatoes in the Instant Pot
Cooking a turkey is far less stressful than it sounds - and with this simple technique, you can use ANY recipe and have the bird turn out beautifully: moist, succulent, and gorgeous.
The Simple Technique for a Perfect, Foolproof Roast Turkey
This simple, scrumptious chimichurri sauce made mostly of parsley, garlic, and olive oil tastes amazingly fresh and pairs with red meat, fish, and chicken oh-so-beautifully!
Scrumptious Chimichurri Sauce
Making gorgeous, delicious bone broth that gels when it cools and soothes when you sip is easier than you think. In this post, we delve into the differences between stock and broth, the benefits of bone broth, AND show you how to make bone broth three different ways: on the stovetop, the slow cooker, and the Instant Pot.
How to Make Bone Broth
Sugar is delicious, but it's at the root of many of our most disastrous health issues. Use these healthy sugar alternatives to take control of how much sugar you (and your family) eat!
21 Healthy Alternatives to Sugar
Whether you're feeding just your family or feeding a crowd on Christmas morning, make it cheery, hearty, and nourishing with these favorite Christmas breakfast recipes.
25 Christmas Morning Breakfast Recipes
Ethical, organic, all-natural candy for all your chocolate holidays!
Where to Find Ethically Sourced Chocolate Candy for Halloween
Making this restaurant-style salsa is super-simple and absolutely delicious. And even better, you can enjoy it right away or can it for long-term storage, since it's safe for canning!
Perfect Restaurant-Style Salsa
When it's hot and you're lacking inspiration at mealtimes, these simple meal ideas will get you going again until the weather turns cool again.
101+ Simple Meal Ideas for Late Summer
Corn dogs have gotten a bad rap - trans fats, poor quality meats, you name it. But they don't have to be that way! They're delicious and meet all your nutritional and ethical criteria when you make them at home. (My sister prefers making them with veggie dogs, but my favorite is free range sustainable beef. What's yours?)
Homemade Corn Dogs
Kids love to help in the kitchen - but so often we're stuck with knife options that are either two blunt (and thus slip off the food) or too sharp (and can easily cause harm). Thus, here's a list of a few GREAT options for knives KIDS can use - and actually cut their food!
Safe, Kid-Friendly Knives That Actually Cut
It's a sinking feeling at the end of the day to realize you don't know what you're going to serve your tired, hungry family. So hang this printable on your refrigerator and you'll always have SOMETHING to inspire you to whip together a quick, healthy meal.
31 Cheap, Last Minute Real Food Dinner Ideas
This basic and SUPER-simple stir fry sauce can be used for anything from chow mein to egg roll dipping sauce - it's very versatile! And even better, you just mix everything up in a jar and you're good to go for months.
Basic All-Purpose Chinese Stir-Fry Sauce
It's easier to make EASY-PEEL hard-boiled eggs than I thought. Plus, with this method, you can make several dozen hard-boiled eggs all at once!
The Surprise Secret to Perfect, Easy-Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
Making perfect lemon curd isn't difficult - and we show you how.
How to Make Perfect Lemon Curd
Make your own healthy DIY popcorn oil for delicious popcorn!
Homemade Movie-Style Popcorn Oil
Bold, smoky, classic meatloaf - it's comfort food that nourishes both body and soul!
Classic Meatloaf Recipe
Fruit salad cups that kids can make themselves! What a great way to get them involved at snacktime, breakfast time, or dessert time!
Super-Fun Fruit Salad Cups Kids Can Make Themselves
When you're staring down a completely frozen turkey on Thanksgiving or Christmas morning and you're wondering how on earth you're going to cook it in time for your feast, here's your simple guide to getting a beautiful, fully cooked bird to the table without breaking a sweat.
How to Cook a Completely Frozen Turkey
Use our simple method to make thick, sweet, luscious homemade applesauce and apple butter. You won't regret it!
Homemade Applesauce & Homemade Apple Butter (and why organic apples matter)
Homemade Caramel Corn - with all-natural ingredients and WITHOUT any of the junk :)
Homemade Caramel Corn
Homemade garam masala is the spice crown jewel of East Indian cuisine and absolutely makes curries SING. This spice blend uses easy-to-find ingredients & mixes up in less than 5 minutes.
Homemade Garam Masala
Healthy homemade lunchables make lunch packing SIMPLE, whether you or your child is doing the packing! There's also a TON of printable info in this post to help your kids be able to pack their own healthy lunch, including a handy-dandy printable. (I hang mine on the inside of the lunch supplies cupboard.) :)
How to Teach Your Child to Pack Their Own Healthy Lunch + Healthy Homemade Lunchables
Summertime is a time of bounty - so here's a thoroughly packed guide to how to preserve pretty much ANYTHING - from apples, bamboo shoots, and cherry blossoms to salmon, yams, and zucchini!
The Ultimate Preservation Guide: How to Preserve {Pretty Much} Anything
S'mores made from all real food ingredients - finally, a treat you can feel good about!
Real Food S'mores
This classic coleslaw is the real food version of the traditional American recipe, and goes beautifully with any barbecue, fried chicken, or pulled pork. :)
Perfect Coleslaw
Need a salad that can go with you and that don't require chilling? Keep this list in your back pocket!
25 No-Chill, Picnic-Perfect Summer Salads
This sweet & perky homemade lemonade concentrate is your all-natural, ready-to-mix lemonade free of high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors. Mix some up today!
Homemade Lemonade Concentrate
Make your own additive-free homemade cake mix! Whip up cakes and cupcakes in minutes, just like a boxed mix.
DIY Yellow Cake Mix
Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar
Is soy lecithin the panacea its made out to be? And is the WORST culprit lurking in your chocolate?
Are These Hidden Toxins Lurking in YOUR Chocolate?
The best Broccoli Bacon Salad
The Best Broccoli Bacon Salad – really truly
Use your slow cooker and make it easy to stick to the paleo or grain-free diet! With more than 145 recipes, you can't go wrong. :) Pin now to make later!
145+ Paleo & Grain-Free Slow Cooker Recipes
Eat real food this St. Patrick's Day!
Real Food Favorites for St. Patrick's Day
Orange Tropical Turmeric Smoothie
Orange Tropical Turmeric Smoothie
What could be better than dining on deeply nourishing food while nourishing your most important love relationships?
Real Food Recipes for Romance
Persian Love Cake: A grain-free, rose-scented Pistachio Honey Cake
Rose-Scented Pistachio Honey Cake (grain-free)
Making your own chocolate bars takes mere minutes!
Homemade Fair Trade Chocolate Bars
The Fake Food You Don't Know You're Eating (Part 2)
9 Ways to Eat More Leafy Greens in Winter
Homemade Oreos - our secret ingredient makes all the difference!
Homemade Oreos – the right way
31 Delicious Things to Cook in January - The best of seasonal eating!
31 Delicious Things to Cook in January
A superb smoothie for detoxing, whether it's for long-term health or just nursing yourself back to health....
New Year Detox Smoothie
THE BEST (and I don't say that lightly) Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix with Homemade Mini-Marshmallows to boot :)
DIY Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix + Homemade Mini-Marshmallows
Swedish Meatballs: simple decadence at its best!
Swedish Meatballs with Lingonberry Sauce
Homemade Mulling Spices - scent your holiday with the warmth of the season
Homemade Mulling Spices
Make homemade evaporated milk and homemade sweetened condensed milk - the easy way!
How to Make Homemade Evaporated Milk and Sweetened Condensed Milk (the Easy Way)
Slow Cooker Stuffing for Thanksgiving (or anytime!)
Thanksgiving Stuffing in the Slow Cooker
These SWEET chickpea-based dips will not only provide excellent protein and minerals, but will delight the tastebuds of pretty much anyone
3 Holiday Dips for Kids of All Ages
Pumpkin Pie Panna Cotta: The 5-Minute, No-Bake Thanksgiving Dessert! | Traditional Cooking School by GNOWFGLINS
Pumpkin Pie Panna Cotta: The Elegant, 5-Minute, No-Bake Thanksgiving Dessert
What's Thanksgiving without Green Bean Casserole topped with crispy French Fried Onions? Our simple homemade recipe has got you covered.