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 […]
Author Archives: Paula Widish
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]