Welcome!

Welcome! 


I have 3 amazing, smart, talented children and a husband exactly like them! I love to cook, craft, decorate frugally, teach fifth grade, and watch baseball (my kids and professional). 


I plan to have a blog where everyone feels involved and welcomed.  Although I have a slew of interests, (which are always changing...), I would like the underlying theme to be about finding a way to live without using artificiality. I will post about all the crazy plans I have and even include the ones I attempt and maybe finish. 


So yeah, I am kind of all over the place...but I have a goal among the mess!


I have headaches...bad ones...that last for days...Over the last few years I have seen more doctors than I would like to admit to. During all those visits, doctors always gave me medication (and I gladly took them). Some thought stress was causing them, and recommended that I exercise (yes, I know I should...I have every excuse possible, in case you need any!). What they wouldn't do was ask what I was eating. It has taken years, but I am finally figuring out that artificial sweeteners are triggering my headaches. So, I cut that...easy, right? NO! I enjoy my sweets...and if I don't eat foods with artificial sweeteners, then I use real sugar...not so good for weight loss...but the headaches are much better!  


While limiting my use of artificial sweeteners, I started thinking about all the other artificial things we use in life. It's pretty gross! Cleaners, bug killers, pesticides...so many!  And this led to thinking about all the processed foods I feed my family. Why? It is more expensive and not healthy...so why have been doing it? Convenience...but then I remembered, being a Mom is not about convenience, it's about teaching my kids how to live a great, healthy life!


My family tries to live frugally (I am a teacher...that should explain it!), so we are not out buying organic produce & meat, or spending more on pesticides that are better for the environment. Instead, we are trying to figure out how to do it better. Any thoughts? Tough, huh?


So join me while we learn and explore together!