This past week or so I have been trying out One Degree Bread which is their Veganic Ancient Whole Wheat Bread. The bread is sprouted,  gluten free, GMO free, and sweetened with raisins. I love trying out new breads and I ‘m trying to avoid the ones with out all those processed ingredients. I mean really who wants to eat all that crap. Than with a son who who has food intolerance issues trying out new stuff is always on my radar. I bought the bread from a local health food store the same place that I get my shampoo from.  I always get my locally grown organic vegetables from there and my grass fed beef and any other items that they have on sell there, without having to drive cross town to Whole Foods.

The benefits  of sprouted grain go way back all the way to ancient peoples eating sprouted grains, rice,  and bread. Refined grains which is what most people eat,  do not know that the germ and the bran are removed. To help with the preservation of the product to and from different locations. However refined grains lead to obesity, stroke, heart disease and even certain cancers of the GI tract. Refined grains do not break down well and are harmful to the body.

When grains are spouted the nutrition stays and the plant enzymes stay in tact . This helps with cleansing  of the colon, building healthy bacteria in the gut and overall it breakdowns slow in the body without causing a spike in blood sugar. Sprouted grains are high in protein  and  antioxidants. They also contain a plethora of  Vitamin A, C, phosphorous, potassium and Iron.

Who doesn’t want  that, I know I can always use an extra dose of iron. …..

My little one deals with constipation if he is not eating clean on a constant basis. A lot the of times I just don’t give  him bread unless it is  something I feel he will do well with. So I made him a turkey and cheese sandwich made with the One Degree Bread. He loved it! He only had half a sandwich but it was great! The bread was hearty, tasteful, with plenty of flavor. Most of all it was soft!

Let’s be honest sometimes if you make your own, something I will be venturing into soon.Or if you try to buy brands with other healthful qualities they can be sort of hard, and just too thick.

Yuck..

So as you can see, it has a ton of great benefits. Sprouted is not the only type of bread I am experimenting with. I working on some soaked breads and sourdoughs too. But that’s for a later post.

I like the Organic One Degree Breads so far and will continue to try more in the future!

Source via Rebecca,via pintrest

Today has been a good day so far, I got to get out with the boys and finish up the spring season of their soccer league. The kids did really well with it being the first time they ever played soccer. My oldest hates soccer, I think the coming new year he will be on the swim team down the street. Austin my middle child loves the game, that is the one thing he constantly thinks about. I tell you he is always kicking that ball around the house and breaking something. From sun up to sun down that is one thing that he truly loves, is that soccer ball.

I’m glad that they got the chance to see what it feels like to follow through on something and hang in there to get the reward, with four boys doing practice twice a week and games. Man I almost gave up at once. But it was all worth the effort. I’ll be able to add that to my list of recreation that the kids participated in this year for home school.

However, that its not the only thing to talk about. I have been reading quite a couple of posts around the blogosphere since the weekend started.

One thing that really caught my attention was the the fact that even though you buy organic products such as chicken broth and other things. The government has the right not to label or change the name of the ingredient MSG if it has less than 50% MSG in the container. What a bunch a crock. This post has really helped me  to be on guard now more when it comes to certain so called “Organic Items”. Read that post, very shocking.  You can find that post No Msg over at the healthyhomeeconimist.

Recently I watched  the movie The Vanishing Of The Bees” and it is really shocking that that state of Americas almonds, nuts and fruit trees are in danger of not being able to  produce. Due to the fact that at an alarming rate tons of bees are dieing off and the government has no idea why! However the speculations are that it is due to a compound that certain bee keepers are feeding the bees and not honey. Along with the fact that pesticides in the environment and GMO’S  a long lasting culprit to a lot of today’s environmental food chains as we speak. If you want to learn more you can read Food Renegades post here.

She did an awesome job with breaking it down.

It’s critical that change happens now.

Loving the post over at homeschooling heart and mind where she talks about children that are homeschooled and not on grade level. It really helped give a fresh perspective on the issue of grading for me. The whole issue I began homeschooling in the first place was because my son has sensory issues and it caused him problems when it came to learning in the public school system as well as private. I love posts that show that grade level is not an problem, your child can be far ahead in one area, and still needing help in the others. If you have the option on homeschooling you would be able to work on those areas in more depth and take your time.

No worries.  Good stuff.

How about you, how has your Saturday been so far?

Since I started homeschooling my kids, I decided to incorporate more audio books into our home school atmosphere. I have always been a fan of anything audio since I was young girl, that includes audio books, podcast’s, even learning math through audio alone.  Being able to listen to audio helps young ones to visualize in their heads the scene and essence of the stories. It teaches them to tune in with their mind using their ears to explore their imagination.

It gives them the as I believe the visualization technique which I feel is beneficial when it comes to learning how to become a great reader. Being able to see with your “minds eye” – quite literally.

After reading the Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer she helped bring back to memory for me the enjoyment I had with audio books as a child, and that it can and will benefit my children also.

When I was younger the internet was not even something that it is today, back than we listen to books on tapes, music on tapes and all that good stuff. Now that we do have the advantage of using the internet to help us with teaching our kids. Online audio books for kids is one that is essential to my almost daily home school routine. We listen to audio books in the car, while were driving to and from soccer, music , or swimming lessons.

I find it so neat, that even with a car full of four boys. When I turn on some downloadable children’s books they all get really quiet and tune in! Boy I tell ya, using audio books are great to help bustling children calm down and enjoy themselves.

Scholastic.com puts it this way ~

You’ll find that these books not only provide you with an occasional break from reading (and rereading the same stories again and again); they also enrich your child’s multi-sensory experiences with books.

Hearing a book read on tape helps her see how the words on the page can come alive in a fluid, expressive way. It helps her focus on the sounds of words read without interruption and provides a model of fluent reading. Audio books also give her an important introduction to listening — a skill that she must master in order to learn to read.  ~ Scholastic.com

Some of my Favorites audio books that my children love are:

• Pippi Longstocking
• Beatrix Potter Books
• Robin Hood
• Skippy Jon Jones
• Plenty of Classics to Follow

I useaudiblefor most of my downloadable children’s books. I signed up through Amazon which has the Audible program. Than I downloaded the Audible App and installed in on my computer, Phone, etc. So that I would be able to play it in the car while were driving.  The kids love it and its so simple to use and order.

I also have a audio book listening station for my younger kids in my den so that they can listen in while I’m teaching one of the other kids . Or just for fun for my four year old.  As you see in the picture above.

I also know that since I am a teacher and this is teacher appreciation week, Discount School Supply is offering a 15% off all there supplies this week for teachers. I do consider my self a teacher……….no harm done right.  They offer audio docking stations along with classic audio books for your home too!  You can find that offer here.

So what about you do you use audio books, and downloadable children’s books?

The kids and I have been having  a whole lot of fun doing simple art activities at home the past couple of months.  I pretty much let the kids color on their own in the morning with just some basic paper and art material laying around. I like them to use their imagination and creativity to make things. Yes some of my children are naturally more creative than others, so I decided to get some draw to life books and and a one of the 1-2-3 Draw Ocean Life Book.  To help one of my sons who gets frustrated when he can not thing of anything to make right off his head.  To my astonishment he likes them, Austin my 7 year old likes to have the art ideas laid out for him.

So to have the books that show him step by step how to make something really has boosted his creative self esteem, if there even is such a thing.  However, he likes them and that’s all that matters. My younger son Jordan really got a kick out of the book yesterday. He wanted to draw some sharks and decided to use the 1-2-3 Draw Ocean Book to make a hammerhead shark and some sea urchins.

See the picture. I thought he did pretty good for his first time using the book.  We also use the Draw write now Books in our simple drawing activities in which they would draw a picture a picture and write out the sentence or two right below it for copy work. Its like killing two  birds with one stone.

I Luv it!

For now the 1-2-3 Draw Ocean Books have been really great when it comes to sparking up some really quick creative juices in the minds of my young ones. They have a lot of color and show you step by step how to make each creature.  For example in this book it shows you how to draw sea urchins, starfish, sharks, hammerheads, jellyfish and much more.  This is a great book to have to complement a study of marine biology for the young ones or even just basic sea life.

Good Stuff.

Do you use any learn how to Draw books in your home school?

I know I’ve been M.I.A. (missing in action) for a moment. Doing the whole home school thing with the kiddies and having fun doing it. I have really been enjoying having my kids at home with me and exploring and learning new things. The time is flying by so fast, and this year is almost over with from the time that I started homeschooling. Not to fret, I plan to be back in action real soon with a ton of new blog posts. Covering the whole home school thing, natural new products I’ve tried and even some hair updates.

I’ve been pretty much getting my feet wet this year with kiddo’s and just learning how they learn and having fun while doing it.

Yeah, were having fun.

©2013 I'm a Natural Chick. All Rights Reserved.This content is Copyright Protected.]]> Long Time No Blog.

This Post Originated at : Natural Chick

I know I’ve been M.I.A. (missing in action) for a moment. Doing the whole home school thing with the kiddies and having fun doing it. I have really been enjoying having my kids at home with me and exploring and learning new things. The time is flying by so fast, and this year is almost over with from the time that I started homeschooling. Not to fret, I plan to be back in action real soon with a ton of new blog posts. Covering the whole home school thing, natural new products I’ve tried and even some hair updates.

I’ve been pretty much getting my feet wet this year with kiddo’s and just learning how they learn and having fun while doing it.

Yeah, were having fun.

]]> http://imanaturalchick.com/homeschooling/long-time-no-blog/feed/ 0 http://imanaturalchick.com/homeschooling/long-time-no-blog/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/imanaturalchick/~3/qpaUdct4lAA/ http://imanaturalchick.com/wellness/heal-thy-mouth-summit/#comments Tue, 01 Jan 2013 18:19:14 +0000 naturalchick http://imanaturalchick.com/?p=3206 Heal Thy Mouth Summit : Oral Health Education

This Post Originated at : Natural Chick

Remember awhile back I mentioned to you how I was having some teeth issues. Nothing drastic to the point where I need a root canal or anything just a couple of cavities that I want to get rid of . I’m a pretty holistic person and putting things in my mouth that could be detrimental to my health is something serious for me. So over the past few months I have been experimenting with oil pulling and reading Rameil Nigel book on curing teeth problems.

That book is awesome is offers some really holistic dental health tips that one could implement  right away. It does include some nutritional changes just so you know.

Because dental health starts from the inside.

Anyhow that’s another discussion all in itself.

Well the Heal thy mouth Summit is back in effect and will be showing this month featuring all sorts of dental health tips, and even oral health education for kids.

Its going to be awesome! I love online summits because you never have to leave your home to hear them.

Here is a intro video, with a couple more coming to give you a jist of what it is going to be all about.

To learn more about how you listen on the summit Click Here!

To listen in on Part Two of the Video filled with more great info watch below.

Listen in at the summit by saving your spot.

Yesterday I had the chance to review the Shea Moisture Thickening and Anti-Breakage line for thin hair. This line features the Shea Moisture organic yucca and baobab shampoo, the Shea Moisture organic yucca & baobab anti-breakage masque along with the Shea Moisture Yucca conditioner which is the leave in.

I have to admit I am one of the few that really have not tried all the Shea moisture products line in entirety to together. So when I  was browsing Walgreen’s one day and saw I could get a boat load for cheap. I jumped all over it, hey what can I say I like to spend money.

So yesterday, when I had some time on my hand, I decided I was going to wash my hair with all three to see if they lived up to what it says it does.

The first thing that I like to do before any shampoo is pre-poo my hair at least overnight with Afro-veda hair oils so that my hair can have a nice sheen and a nice Ayurvedic hot oil treatment to boot. I have been doing for quite some time now. However, I did not have anytime yesterday to do an overnight hot oil treatment. I just oiled my hair and scalp lightly with Afroveda New Methika oil to treat dandruff and stuff…..

The next step I did was detangle  and place my hair into about 8-12 twists so that I could easily wash and unravel my hair in the shower.

I than proceeded to use the Shea moisture organic yucca and baobab shampoo in the shower. When I wash my hair I like to put them in twists. Than take each twist out separately one at a time and wash them each separately. I have tried washing my hair in the twists a couple of times, but I don’t like it. My hair does not feel as clean and I am not able to use the smoothing technique by rubbing my hands down my hair to help smooth the cuticle.

When you have kinky hair like mine you want to smooth the cuticle in as many ways as possible…….

The shampoo lathered up really good, it has a really great slip which made it easy to clean and was my hair really fast.  Anything with great slip is awesome for my type 4 kinky hair. It smelled divine and smooth to the touch. My hair felt soft and not stripped at all. One thing I can say is although my hair felt soft and smooth after the shampoo, it did not feel very clarified.

This is a great shampoo if you are looking for something to cleanse your hair with out stripping it, but at the same time giving it moisture. It does not give the clarified clean feeling. So be sure to rotate this shampoo with a clarifier.

Would I buy the shampoo again.

Yes.

Some of the ingredients in the Shea moisture yucca shampoo include:

• Yucca Soap
• Shea oil
• Baobab Extract
• Coconut Oi
• Rosemary Extract
• Honeysuckle Extract
• Vegetable protein
• Aloe Vera Juice

So as you can see there is some good stuff in there.

The next step I took was to use the Shea moisture organic yucca & baobab anti-breakage masque. Now when I applied this to my hair I immediately did not like the way it felt. It has a creamy rough touch to it,  if that makes any sense. White in color, very thick with a mild scent. Not much to bother anyone at all. I am used to some really great conditioners on my hair and this one was not cutting it already just by touch.

So I said hey let me give it whirl and wait until I rinse it out in the shower to give my final verdict.

But in the meantime some of the ingredients inside the anti-breakage masque include:

• Water
• Shea Butter
• Coconut Oil
• Mango Butter
• Avocado Oil
• Olive oi
• Aloe Vera Juice
• Baobab extract
• Vegetable Protein
• Rosemary extract
•  Vitamin E
• Essential Oil Blend
• Much more……

I would expect with all those great ingredients my hair would love it. However, I am coming to realizing that deep conditioners with a Shea butter base as the main ingredient don’t work that well for deep conditioning my hair but acts more a sealant preventing the other great ingredients from penetrating my hair shaft.

Would I purchase it again probably not. Was it okay, yeah. It made my hair slightly soft after the fact, because while I was rinsing it out my hair felt petty though. So I guess my hair felt stronger. However, I will use the product again, since I did buy it and do not want to waste my  money……..

The last thing on my list was to use the Shea Moisture yucca & Aloe thickening growth milk with biotin and Bamboo extract. This particular leave in is suppose to help with thin and fine hair by thickening and volumizing the hair shaft

I have been going through a period of breakage, which is the reason I am giving the line a try.

I decided to mix some aloe Vera juice about two tablespoons to about 6 tablespoons of the growth milk together. To make sure when I applied it to my hair my cuticles would lie more flat. I like to mix aloe Vera juice to my leave ins because although many come with it already added to their products. Its is a very small amount and not enough to close the cuticle. I use different oils all the time with my mixtures too. This time I added one tablespoon of Avocado Oil to the mixture.

In the end, I test with my ph strips to make sure it is the right ph  before applying to my hair.

Some of the ingredients listed for the growth milk include:

• Water
• Shea butter
• Coconut Oil
• Mango Seed Butter
• Jojoba Oil
• Avocado Oil
• Vegetable Glycerin
• Aloe Leaf Extract
• Biotin
• Yucca Extract
• Bamboo Extract
• Rosemary EXTRACT
• Vitamin E
• Much More……..

Shea moisture growth milk was okay, not bad not great. I have had better. It is a light weight conditioner not heavy in consistency at all. Since it was so watery when applying it to my hair it took a second for my hair to absorb it.  I’m still on the fence about this one, because my hair was soft, not as soft as I like it or have experienced with other leave ins.

Yet my hair was shiny after the twist out.

Will I buy this product again, I probably will. It  is a light weight and did get the job done. I will keep it to use as a refresher conditioner on those days I need a pick me up.

It will work great for that!

My final verdict is that I will re-use the shampoo, but mainly in the hot warmer months.  The anti-breakage masque is a pass for me maybe you will like it, it does have great ingredients inside of it. Which I’m sure will work great for someone else. The Growth milk, I’m going to keep using to see how it works out as a refresher.

Have you used the Shea moisture anti-breakage line for thin and fine hair.

I would love to know.

Wanna know the real skinny on how grow long natural Afro textured hair fast, than you might wanna take a look at this. It will really open your eyes, inform on some serious hair topics. While at the same time have you balling all over your seat.

Loved it,,,,,,,,!!!!

Check It Out.

There is a new documentary in the mix about one family who chose to avoid the public school chaos and bring their kids home to school them. This is one film that is still in the works and they are looking for support to get the train moving. If and when the film is finished it will help bring to light the movement that is growing across the country of families bringing their kids home from public school.

Taking control of their children’s education.

I can identify with this, since I too brought my own kids home from public school to shield them from things I thought they were not ready for, to teach them things I felt and know the school was not doing right. Along with protecting my oldest from years of bullying that he was being tormented with day after day in public and private school.

I love public school, I went to public school and graduated from it, but not all schools are the same and not all public schools are the way they were when I was growing up. There is a lack of funding, lack of parental involvement in school which is putting stress on the school systems to cut programs, lay off staff and place pressure on students to step up. With testing to bring in more funds to the school. This cause stress in kids, and families. I was one of those families with a young boy who has learning difficulties and as each year went by, and I saw the love of learning leave him. The more I became convinced I had to do something and take him out of it.

We tried therapists, IEP programs, special teachers, even private school for about 2 years. The only thing that really helped him to flourish was when I took him out of school and brought him home. Not money, not tutors, not special programs in which all it did was label him and make him feel less than.

So you know what.

Class dismissed.

Show support to get the film going, by donating. It will go a long way.

Visit here to learn more.  Class dismissed.

You ever wonder about all those essentials oils out there and which is right for you. There are so many and pretty much all of them have some sort of health benefit. Whether it is soothing , relieving stress, or stimulating your hair follicles to help produce growth.

Essentials oils is not something that has just come around in the new age of natural living. No, but in fact essentials oils have been around for centuries to remedy a variety of ailments both physical and emotional.

For example some of the benefits of essentials include oils like peppermint which are great for digestion while others like grapefruit have been known to have fat melting properties.

I know that sounds all new because essentials are pretty much known to help produce a state of relaxation or calming.

But yes, there are many uses for essentials oils.

So here I am going to explain Four essentials oils to you and how to use them.

First on the list is: Rose Oil

Rose oil has several uses including being used as an antidepressant, anti-wrinkle, to treat chronic bronchitis and asthma and to help improve sexual potency. It’s also used to induce calming and relaxation. And is said to be able to heal emotions and trauma by bringing warmth to the heart and soul.

Rose oil can also be used as a great spritzer right after a facial or even during.

It’s often blended with other calming oils to produce an all encompassing calming effect and blends well with Patchouli, Cedarwood Oil, Bergamot,Sandalwood, Chamomile, and Ylang-Ylang. You can place it in a lotion and apply it directly to your skin.

Rose is great for massage oils and bath products. You can also place in a diffuser and enjoy the scent in a room that you find calming.

For instance your bathroom, bedroom or study.

Second on the list is: Lavender Oil

Lavender oil may be the most common essential oil used for relaxation. You can find it in the grocery store isles in lotions, bath gels, shampoo and even candles. Lavender is everywhere. In addition to being wonderful for relaxing and calming, lavender oil can be uses as an analgesic, diuretic, styptic, rheumatism, muscle pain, depression, headaches, hypertension, insomnia, stress and skin diseases.

I find that whenever my kids have a hard time going to bed or just to restless a nice warm bath and some quiet music does just the trick. If you’re looking for some great music for kids imagery for kids does just the trick. Or, you might Mr. Relaxation, I play this in their room almost every night and they are out.

No joke!

Like Rose Oil, you can combine it in a number of personal care products, drip it into your bathtub, or you can place it in a diffuser and enjoy it throughout your home.

Third on the list is: Jasmine Oil

Jasmine has a most recognizable fragrance and is commonly used as an aphrodisiac, to treat headaches, for fatigue, to soothe coughs, to improve and tone skin and to calm menstrual issues. Jasmine is also tremendous oil for calming.

Yes, it is one of my favorite, great smell too!

While jasmine oil is more expensive than just about any other essential oil, it is very powerful oil. To use you can blend into personal care products like bath gels, massage oils and lotions or you can place a few drops of jasmine oil in a vaporizer and let it permeate your yoke. * Burners and vaporizers*

Burners are great for getting the effect going really fast some of my favorite include the Gifts & Decor Ceramic Mini Oil Warmer Trio Tea light Candle Holder Set brand. One great Vaporizer would be the Aura Cacia Diffuser – Aromatherapy Vaporizer with Oil.

Jasmine oil blends well with Bergamot, Rose, Sandalwood and Citrus oils.

Fourth on the list is: Chamomile Oil

Chamomile oil, both Roman and German, are wonderful for their calming and relaxing properties. They also help with treating PMS and other menstrual and menopausal problems and to heal and regenerate tissue.

Many practitioners recommend using Chamomile to treat irritable children and colicky infants. To use, blend in massage oil, place a few drops in the bath, blend into lotions and creams and place a few drops in a vaporizer or diffuser.

To create a powerful relaxing effect you can blend Chamomile with jasmine, lavender or rose oil.

Essential oils have many wonderful properties. Which fill your home with a sense of peace and calming, consider diffusing one or a blend of the above essential calming oils. And for those extra stressful days, add some to a bath or a vaporizer and enjoy the relaxing benefits.

Then don’t forget that glass of wine to top it off.

I’m just saying.

P.S.  I would love to know if you use essentials oils and which ones.