Advent Ribbon with Cookies and Story Tradition Posted in: Advent, Christmas - This year Advent starts on Sunday, December 2nd and ends December 24th, 2012. A couple years ago we created a special "ribbon" calendar - the picture above is a collage that shows some different angles and close-ups. We can… Read More >>
The Journey of Analise Posted in: Advent - Don't forget to listen to The Journey of Analise this year with your children. This is an original story created by me and is told in 10-15 minute "chapters" each day for the 24-26 days leading up to Christmas (flexible… Read More >>
Science in Waldorf Education: Wisdom from the Iowa Academy of Science Posted in: Science - This Tuesday I presented the new Wildlife Curriculum "Predator, Prey and People" to the Iowa Academy of Science. It was an honor to present at the conference and was inspiring to meet all the teachers, hear their stories, share ideas,… Read More >>
Continuity in Curriculum: Waldorf Curriculum: Horizontal and Vertical Alignment Posted in: Curriculum, Seventh Grade, Uncategorized, Waldorf Earthschooling - When I look through the Earthschooling curriculum from preschool through high school I can FEEL the harmony pulsing through it. Just like many Waldorf teachers that take a class through many years together I've also overseen every lesson myself over… Read More >>
Wildlife Rescue and Education Posted in: Animals, Nature Walks, Science, Wildlife Education - Springtime is here and at the wildlife center we have baby opossums! They are so adorable! The even better news is that all of our baby animals come from captive breeding facilities (these facilities are set up around the country… Read More >>March Story – Persian New Year Posted in: March, Persian, Seasonal, Spring, Stories - I found a version of a Persian New Year Story in PERSIAN which would be fun to listen to even though I don't understand a word of Persian! It is HERE. Uncle Noruz Once upon a time there was an… Read More >>
Fenugreek and Kidneys Posted in: Consultations, Herbal Healing, Holistic Health, Nutritional Healing - I am in awe at the amount of transformation I witness each month from nutritional changes clients make. Even after 20 years of consulting work it still amazes me that such small changes and such innocent looking food items can… Read More >>
Food as an Herb Posted in: Nutrition, Student Lounge - This is an excerpt from a student exam with my comments in italics... After reading ALL the articles and the article provided on this page please share with me what the most surprising remedy was for you and WHY. Tell… Read More >>
Reflexology Success Story! Posted in: Consulting, Reflexology, Student Lounge - This story is from a student exam on Reflexology where she shares her experience with one of her clients. Although her client gave her permission to share the story, the name of the student and location as well as the… Read More >>
Point of View – Art or Communication? Posted in: Assignments and Exams, Student Lounge - This is a comment I made on a student exam today that I wanted to share with everyone. As healers we need to always practice seeing things from the point of view of the person and culture we are in.… Read More >>
Knitted Stories: Lily Gets Lost Posted in: Knitted Stories, Knitting, Unicorns - Lily the little lavender unicorn was a sweet girl and very curious. She was always asking her mother questions like, "Mama, why is the butterfly painted?" or "Mama, where does the butterfly go?" or "Mama, what is in that grass… Read More >>Homeschooling Dilemma: Is My Child Socialized Enough? Posted in: Parenting - One important aspect of socialization that people don't take into account is that socialization is different at different ages. For example - do you socialize daily and chat on the phone with your friends all the time and go to… Read More >>
Your Naturopathic Degree Program Teaches So Much More Posted in: Aromatherapy, Career Coaching, Consultations, Herbal Healing, Homeopathy, Iridology, Legal & Ethical Consultations, Medicine of Avicenna, Naturopathic Healing, Nutritional Healing, Reflexology, Unani Tibb - "From all the comparison I have done on ND distance programs (and I looked at them all) yours teaches the same things they do, yet your program is much more affordable. I am excited and I feel I am learning so… Read More >>
Earthschooling Has Made Homeschooling Sinfully Simple Posted in: Curriculum, Waldorf Earthschooling - I'm already glad I upgraded to the Lifetime Membership. The Kids Can Heal section is WONDERFUL! My oldest daughter, now 23, was educated at home, fully Waldorf-inspired. I spent many, many hours putting together materials and finding my way through… Read More >>
I Wish I Could Go Back in Time with Earthschooling Posted in: Curriculum, Waldorf Earthschooling - Thank you so much for what obviously is a lot of hard work and commitment on your part! So far I am really really impressed and only wish I would have found this earlier! We've been homeschooling for going on… Read More >>
Wildlife Education in the Waldorf Classroom Posted in: Articles ABOUT Us, Earthschooling in the News, Science, The BEarth Institute in the News, Wildlife Education - Wildlife Education in the Waldorf Classroom A class I taught about skunks at a local library was featured in the Des Moines Register. You can see some photos HERE. The caption reads: Lisa Fernandez/The Register Kristie Burns, of Red Rock… Read More >>
Taking Care of Baby Bear Posted in: Animals, Wildlife Education - If you are a parent or have been a parent or caregiver I am sure you can understand my excitement when I find that I can do something enriching for myself that I love that ALSO enriches my children! My… Read More >>Ten Ways to Renew Your Hope in Healing Posted in: Herbal Healing, Holistic Health, Legal & Ethical Consultations, Naturopathic Healing, Nutritional Healing - Someone spoke to me today on a casual basis today about an ailment they had. I mentioned some solutions that I would try for myself but their response was "I have tried everything". They seemed very worn out from all… Read More >>
Adventures in Arabic Calligraphy Posted in: Lesson Blocks, Second Language - Wednesday Mosi (my 16-year-old) and I taught Arabic calligraphy to a class of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. Upon hearing this one may wonder how we could teach an advanced writing technique in another language to a class of students… Read More >> Sweet Sue and Snuggly Thumper Posted in: Animals, Science, Wildlife Education - A new arrival at the wildlife center left Sofi and I wondering what to do. We didn't have any information about skunks in our Earthschooling curriculum! We had studied mammals and animals in general and we had touched on information… Read More >>A Waldorf 16th Birthday Posted in: Birthday - Flower Birthday Hats were part of my daughter's 16th birthday party 😉 (no picking of flowers required) I've been planning birthdays with my children since they were five! It is hard to believe that my eldest just turned 16 now… Read More >>
Using Proper Terminology in Your Practice Posted in: Consulting, Student Lounge - It is so very important as healers that we use precise vocabulary for so many reasons. Some examples are: 1. We need to remember we are recommending and teaching and NOT prescribing medicine. To use improper terminology here is misleading.… Read More >>
Natural Gifts for Kids to Make Posted in: Lesson Blocks, Woodworking - Welcome to my post for the Des Moines Area Frugal Blog Tour! Julia McGuire, who is leading this tour is a Homeschooling leader in my community and has gathered together some amazing local Bloggers for this tour. I'm the first… Read More >>Herbal Well-Being – No Tea Involved! Posted in: Holistic Health, Nutritional Healing - One of my challenges as a consultant is not just finding the right solution for a client, but also the right way for them to use that solution. Not everyone likes herbal tea, capsules or the often bitter taste of… Read More >>
Integrating Volunteering with Homeschooling Posted in: Animals, Waldorf Earthschooling, Wildlife Education - There are so many organizations and people needing your help. How can you possibly fit volunteering into an already full schedule of homeschooling, running a house and perhaps even work or running a business? One effective way is to integrate… Read More >>Increase Your Energy – Tips from Group Consulting Posted in: Herbal Healing, Holistic Health, Naturopathic Healing, Nutritional Healing - We had a great session about increasing your energy levels naturally. Here are some little tidbits from the session that I wanted to share because they are things that people don't often think about when they think of increasing their… Read More >>
Inner Work & Meditative Time for Children Posted in: Breathing In, Inner Work, Inner Work, Inner Work, Meditation, Rhythm - There is a lot of talk in the Waldorf community about inner work for the teacher and parent but we often forget that children also need this time. A teacher/parent is encouraged to wake up early and start the day… Read More >>
Space Clearing for Better Health and Homeschooling Posted in: Detoxification, Naturopathic Healing, Space Clearing - Although we often hear the term "spring cleaning" one should actually do a "space clearing" of their living and working space at least once a month (or at least once a quarter). Just as we should do a detoxification of… Read More >>
A Jellyfish Story & Lesson Posted in: Animals, Stories, Wildlife Education - In the true spirit of Earthschooling Sofi and I spontaneously decided to "hit the road" on Sunday and go to Minneapolis to visit the aquarium. We had the most amazing time! We happened to end up there at a very… Read More >>Pumpkin Smoothie for Balance & Nutrition Posted in: Autumn, Cooking, Healthy Meals, Holistic Health, Kids Can Heal, Nutritional Healing, Temperament, Thanksgiving - Pumpkin Smoothies are one of my favorite autumn treats and the best part of them is that they are super healthy as well! They are filled with vitamins, minerals and even protein and calcium. When you drink a pumpkin smoothie… Read More >>
