Tree of Life Mothering

It’s summer and that means time for fun in the sun! I have changed in my thinking about catching sun rays, thanks to this post on heliotherapy. That’s a fancy word for sunbathing.

Did you know that :

Those who practice sunbathing have been shown to have lower blood pressure, regulated blood sugar, healthier cholesterol levels and an increased white blood cell count (higher immunity)? (quote from the above linked blog post by Carla Fernandez)

Ms. Fernandez quotes Dr G D Babbitt, author of the book, Human Culture and Cure, as saying:

”There is a vast array of forces of every kind, including iron, magnesium, sodium, carbon, and other elements conveyed by the sunlight, but why shall we not take these elements in their ordinary form from our drugstores, and not go to the trouble of taking sun-baths? Because when these elements are given us in so refined a form, as to come directly from the sun as an ether, or to float skywards and be driven to us by the solar rays, they must be far more penetrating, enduring, safe, pleasant, and up-building to the mental system than if they were used in a crude form.”

Agreed! A few weeks ago I woke up feeling awful. I felt sluggish and just did not want to engage in life. What turned it around was 1. more sleep (I went back to bed for 2 more hours), 2. some flax seed swallowed whole to get my digestive system moving, if you know what I mean, 3. Drinking a lot of water, and 4.soaking in the sun in the middle of the day. After that I felt a million times better. I think I did get some of those elements in the “most penetrating, enduring, safe and pleasant ways,” from the sun.

Here are the rules I gleaned from Ms. Fernandez’ article linked above, about how to sunbathe safely:

1. Get out in the sun around noontime. That’s when the UVB rays are the strongest, to balance out the UVA rays. UVA rays increase skin cancer risk. UVB rays are the ones that help your skin make Vitamin D when it is exposed to them. But UVB rays also cause skin to burn so…that leads me to the next two points.

2. Start out with just 15 minutes or so of exposure, less if you are fair-skinned or elderly. Then slowly build up to a 20 minute exposure.

3. After 20  minutes of exposure, go inside or put some sunblock on. Here is a great article on how to choose a nontoxic sunscreen. The basic idea is to choose a mineral-based sunscreen that uses a mineral, like titanium oxide or zinc oxide to reflect the sun’s rays. Avoid toxins like oxybenzone, Vitamin A, often labeled as “retinyl palmitate” or “retinol”, and parabens, phthalates, phenoxyethanol and PEGs (polyethylene glycol).

I recommend Garden Goddess sunscreen, for sale from mightynest.com in the link above. It is mineral based in the form of a convenient spray.

I hope you take time to sunbathe this summer. I was tested to have a very low level of Vitamin D last year, so I am definitely doing it now that summer is back, in hopes of upping my level. Sunshine makes you happy and healthy, in the right amount. If you do get burned, remember to use apple cider vinegar to soothe the burn and make it fade. Here is a post I wrote on that.

Alexander Hamilton was the first martyr to capitalism? and Thomas Jefferson was a pre-Marxist? I don’t think so, and neither does Tom Woods, but his guest in the above video sure does. I thoroughly enjoyed this debate between Tom Woods and Michael Malice, it was highly entertaining and educational. Ever since studying Hamilton in depth a few years ago, my opinion of him has gone down. He wanted to bring the empire of England to America! I am totally siding with Tom in this debate.

Tom Woods of the Tom Woods Show says, “It’s not uncommon to hear it said that Jesus was a socialist and that the early Church practiced socialism. None of this is true, and our guest takes us through all the key claims.”

It’s not uncommon to hear it said that Jesus was a socialist and that the early Church practiced socialism. None of this is true, and our guest takes us through all the key claims. Subscribe to the Tom Woods Show:https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/t…

It’s time for another post about what we have been reading! I wish you could have seen my son’s eyes light up when he discovered the above book at the library. This is my son who hates to read, but when he found this book, which was just published in April, he devoured it all in one day. Now I am reading to the 5 year old. It’s a graphic novel featuring the story of Harriet Tubman. It’s amazing! The author, Nathan Hale, has such a talent for presenting awesome stories from history in a package that kids will actually beg for. I have blogged about his other books in his Hazardous Tales over here.

We watched the Soul Surfer movie a month ago. If you haven’t seen it, go see it. You can find it free online, just Google it. It’s about a real girl, Bethany Hamilton, who got her arm bitten off by a shark. I enjoyed her story. I love the many references to God, Jesus, and the Bible. She is an amazing young woman. She has since gotten married and just had a baby this month! 5 out of 5 stars!

The above book is written by Bethany’s mom. It gives the history of Bethany’s family, from the time both her parents were children. I had to laugh about Cheri’s confessions about her unconventional housekeeping method. She is very real and down to earth. I liked the tone of the book and again, the repeated references to God, Jesus, and the Bible. I loved hearing how she and her husband became Christians. 5 out of 5 stars!

My 17 year old read the above book for the Youth for Freedom camp. I read it years ago. It’s such a great book about getting along with others. 5 out of 5 stars.

This is a cute book about the fact that the word “aunt” sounds like “ant.” A great take on how kids’ minds work, getting confused about words. 4 out of 5 stars.

I love books like the one above that introduce historical events to kids in a pictorial way. I didn’t really like the added element of a dog telling the story, it might confuse kids, so I give it 4 out of 5 stars. The illustrations are beautiful

The above book is another graphic novel. It’s about a nerdy kid who moves and looks forward to a fresh start. Then he teams up with some other kids and they solve a mystery with their smarts. I haven’t finished it yet but it seems like a great way to get kids interested in science.

I loved the above book, because it’s based on real people and how they changed the world. I didn’t even know who the inventors of day glow paint were until I read this book and learned about the Switzer brothers. I love the illustrations. 4 out of 5 stars because it gets a little wordy and didn’t hold my 5 year old’s attention the whole time.

I borrowed this book from my mom over a year ago and finally read it this month. It’s about a guy who as a Secret Service agent for Bush II and Obama. It was very enlightening to hear his view of what it’s like to live inside the “bubble,” the world that the US president lives in. I give it 4 out of 5 stars because I thought it ended abruptly when he stopped telling his story and moved, in the last few chapters, to writing about three events: the Fast and Furious scandal, Benghazi, and the Boston Marathon. I also give it 4 out of 5 stars because of his overall conclusion, that the problem with the government is bureaucracy. It’s more than that, it’s that evil people have control of it. 

I am loving the above book. It’s a collection of writings by Louisa May Alcott’s mother, Abigail May Alcott.The editor has uncovered lots of letters and journal entries that Abigail May Alcott wrote, when many scholars had concluded that all of her writings had been destroyed. First I read the companion book that the editor wrote, a dual biography of Abba (Abigail’s nickname) and Louisa. I blogged about that over here. So now I am reading this collection of Abba’s actual writings.This is a fascinating insight into one of America’s first feminists and female abolitionists and the model for “Marmee” of Little Women fame. Abigail was a wonderful, heroic woman who inspired her daughter never to give up on her dream of being an author. She was the “wind” beneath Louisa May’s wings, for sure. It is inspiring to hear about someone who had marital struggles and poverty and came out on top. This happened because of her mentoring of her daughter. She let Louisa May comb through her journals and letters to find things to write about. She kept encouraging her daughter to write. Because of this Louisa May did write and eventually became the highest-paid author in America, at the time of her death. She was able to give her mother all of the material comforts Abigail needed and had missed out on in the earlier years of her marriage. Who knows, maybe if Abigail had gotten married to someone else besides Bronson Alcott, maybe she would not have been so poor. Maybe if Louisa May had never experienced poverty she would never have acquired the drive to write for profit.

My husband’s friend gave him this book when we lived in the same neighborhood. I’ve been meaning to read it for years. It’s for my Sunday reading. I like to have a certain book or two that I save for Sunday reading, besides the scriptures. I know some people question Skousen’s scholarship so I take everything he writes with a grain of salt. The first part is rather dry as he goes through all of the laws from the Bible, so I have skipped to the part where he covers European history. The little stories there are fascinating. The basic idea of the book is that the founders of America based our laws mostly on the Hebrew way, which is found in the Bible. We have gone astray from this but this way will come back.

Meal planning can help you save a lot of time in the kitchen and a lot of money at the store. In this video Katie of wellnessmama.com walks you through my Wellness Mama Meal Planning System. 

If you have ever wanted to improve your hairstyling skills, then this is the book for you! It’s by Becky Porter, the mommy blogger over at babesinhairland.com. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars! It is easy to read, and full of everything you need to know to get your or your daughter’s hair looking amazing and elegant. I have been getting great ideas for hair from Becky’s blog for years, and these styles in the book (beyond the basic braids and buns) are not on the blog! I have included some videos from her blog. The styles in the book are just as beautiful and creative!

It starts out with the basics: hair terminology, styling tools, and hair care products. Then Becky teaches you how to do basic styles step by step, accompanied by gorgeous full-color photos. You will learn the simple building blocks of Becky’s amazing and elegant hairstyles: braids, ropes, twists, buns, and ponytails. Then you get more advanced styles that are variations: fishbone braids, dutch braids, uneven ropes and twists, waterfall braids, ladder braids, and updos.

I emailed the author and she has generously agreed to give away a copy of the book. So enter below if you would like to have chance in the random drawing. Also, if you go over to babesinhairland.com, you can enter another giveaway of the book, a wide-tooth comb, and a $25 gift card from Amazon, for you and your BFF! Becky is celebrating her 7th blogiversary. Congratulations!

If you want to enter the random drawing for the giveaway, please enter your comment below. I will hold the drawing on Monday July 6th around 3 PM.

This is such an awesome book about Louisa May Alcott, and an unsung heroine of American history: Abigail May Alcott, Louisa’s mother. I finished reading it last week and now I am sad it’s over. It’s probably one of the best books about being a woman, a wife, and mother-mentor. Abba had the patience and character of Job to deal with her infuriatingly lazy husband.

You probably know that Louisa May’s mother, Abigail May, was the basis for the Marmee character in Little Women, but did you know…..the following:

-that Abigail, or Abba, was the descendant of a Salem witch trial judge who later regretted he had executed the women accused of being witches?

-that Abba was the daughter of a wealthy Boston businessman who was part of the “Boston Brahmins”, a socially elite circle?

-that Abba’s great aunt, “Aunt Q,” was the wife of John Hancock?

-that Abba was a scholar who wanted the same opportunity to go to Harvard as her brother? She studied hard under the tutelage of the Reverend John Allyn and his sister Abby Allyn for one year when she was 18. She even translated the book of John into Latin.

-that Abba did not get married until she was 30?

-that it was Abba who fueled and fanned the fire of Louisa’s desire to be a famous author?

-that Abba proposed to Bronson, Louisa May’s father?

-that Abba’s brother, Samuel Joseph May, was one of the first abolitionists? He labored his entire adult life for slavery to end, and he fought a battle for a black girls to be educated in private schools. He supported Prudence Crandall, a teacher who started a private school for “colored misses” and spoke for her publicly when she was attacked?

-that Abigail May was a Unitarian?

-that Abba suffered from depression when Louisa May was born?

-that Abba left her husband and found a new place to live when he was lying in bed, refusing to work to provide for the family?

-that Abba had to work to provide for the family because Bronson did not? She took in boarders, started an employment agency for domestic help, and worked at a water cure spa in Maine, among other things.

-that she was not allowed to speak in public at the time, the same as other women of the time, but yearned to have a public voice?

-that Abba was a fabulous writer and thinker?

-that she sent a petition to the Massachusetts legislature, asking the lawmakers to allow women the right to vote?

-that Louisa May, her famous daughter, became her functional “husband” in the sense of providing her with financial security? This was a dream dear to Louisa May’s heart that she fulfilled as an author.

-that Louisa May got custody of her niece, Lulu, when her sister Amy died shortly after childbirth in France? May is the basis for “Amy” in Little Women.

-that when Louisa May died, she was the highest paid author in America? She left a substantial estate to her sister Anna, (“Meg” in Little Women) and nephews.

-that she was the “wind beneath the wings” of Louisa May’s success? If it weren’t for Abba, we would have no Little Women. Abba let Louisa go through all of her journals to find material to inspire her writing. How sad the world would be indeed if we didn’t have these stories.

I highly recommend this book! I give it 5 stars! It is full of quotes I will have to share in another blog post. I loved that the author, Eve Laplante, was a great-great-niece of Abba. Her 4th great grandfather was Abba’s brother, Samuel Joseph May. Eve found a trunk full of letters in her mother’s attic from the May and Alcott families that gave her special insight to write this book. Here is a video of the author speaking about the book. Now I am reading My Heart is Boundless, a collection of Abba’s letters and journal entries that Eve compiled. Contrary to popular opinion, not all of Abba’s journals and writings were destroyed!

I discovered this cool class offered over at craftsy.com. It’s about how to use knives in cooking, and it’s free! Just go here and click on the right where it says “complete knife skills.” You will learn how to chop faster and more efficiently as you slice, dice, and julienne, how to cut trickier fruits and veggies, proper selection and care of knives, and how to hold your hands, all from award-winning instructor Brendan McDermott. The craftsy people promise you can cut your prep time in half with this knowledge. 

It’s summer and for me that always brings the feeling of freedom! I remember the last day of school, especially, the last day of BYU, on graduation day, thinking, “Now I can read whatever I want!” The above picture shows my daughter on the left with my two nieces on a lazy summer vacation holiday in Park City. It was probably around midnight when after the excitement of watching the USA Women’s Gymnastics team win gold, I finally got them to bed, after they read stories to each other.

I am planning on getting my kids to read a ton this summer by bribing them. I know bribing probably isn’t approved by Charlotte Mason and other child education purists, but Charlotte Mason never had any of her own kids to supervise when she wanted to relax. So I take everything she wrote with a grain of salt. Forget waiting for one of my kids to catch fire about reading on his own without bribes. I’ve got one kid who, at 9 years old, loves to read and already reads 2 or 3 novels a week. Then on the other hand her brother is still trudging through the same book he’s been reading since February. Hopefully the bribe will get him reading more.

Here are some reading challenges and/or lists I am using to find ideas on what to get my kids to read.

1. Redeemed Reader’s Summer 2014 Reading Challenge. Redeemed Reader is a totally awesome blog with recommended books for Christian parents and their kids. The blog creators aren’t doing a challenge this year, but you can use last year’s challenge as a list for ideas. Basically it’s six weeks of books picked for kids and teens, with some audio files of a guy who offers a Biblical Christian worldview for the books.They also have some charts for encouraging your family to read either 50 books or 100 books.

2. Jenny Phillips’ Summer Reading Program. You pay about 12 bucks to sign up each kid, and for each level the kid reaches in the program, the child gets a reward from Jenny’s site. I don’t think my little kids would be motivated by the prizes she is offering, but I am thinking of paying 5 bucks just to get the book list.

3. My 17 year old son’s best friend Jacob has a Louis L’amour Reading Challenge. He challenges us all to read for at least 1 hour a day. He is making it a competition where people can enter in their current number of pages read. At the end of each month whoever has the most pages read will get prizes!

Instead of the words, “No more teachers, no more books!” I feel like singing, “No more teachers, just fun books!“

4. Here’s a Book of Mormon reading challenge that my dear friend Becky Edwards is doing. The goal is to read the Book of Mormon all through the summer. If you do six pages a day you can finish in 90 days. 

Here are some more fun resources to help with the challenges:

The Friend magazine, a children’s magazine published by the LDS Church, has book reviews every so often. Here is a link to some of them, with a sample page here. It seems like these reviews come out in the June and November issues, but I could be wrong on that.

Montesserrat, of cranialhiccups.com, has some colorful aids to motivate kids to read:

• Summer Reading Charts
• Summer Reading Bookmarks
• Summer Reading Coupons

Happy reading to all! Remember, readers are leaders!

I am inviting all of you to the most exciting party ever! It is happening from the comfort of your own home. It’s a chance to find some fabulous, comfortable, stylish, feminine, modest clothing, whether you are a little girl or size 3xl, pregnant, or nonpregnant. It’s from a company called LuLaRoe!

If you haven’t seen the beautiful LuLaRoe clothing, you are in for a treat.