My family loves this, and it always disappears at potlucks! Mike & I especially enjoy the spicy version of this, but it can be made mild. This hummus is extra healthy as it contains raw energy, omega oils and antioxidants.

Fast Fresh, Mouthwatering Hummus

2 C cooked chickpeas or garbanzo beans
½ C tahini
(sesame butter)
1 red bell pepper, cut in chuncks
1 jalapeno pepper (optional)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar, unfiltered
1 TB flax seed oil
1 TB olive oil
1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp lemon or lime juice

Blend all in a food processor. Add a small amount of water if needed.

Spread on veggie wraps, warm whole wheat pitas or use as veggie dip. Perfect for healthy lunches!

Do you eat hummus? What are your favorite hummus ingredients?

The first day we went to the Cause For Hope office, the organization that helps Persnickety Clothing Company create and  distribute uniforms and clothing to children in need in Nicaragua. They helped us find people to buy the fabric and sew the clothes there, which supports the local economy. Their economy is much worse off than ours.

Then we took some dresses to a place that gives food to children in need. The children were so beautiful and there were many hopeful faces. We only had dresses. Our partner and friend, Craig Rickenbach, co-owner with his wife Corinne (in the green shirt) of Persnickety Clothing, spoke to the children before we began.

He was always able to make them laugh. First he had the boys raise their hand.

He told them sorry, they weren’t getting an dresses (they laughed and we did arrange for them to get a gift the next day). Then we told them why we were there.  We lined up the girls and started giving them dresses that looked to be the right size.

We didn’t have enough. We had given some dresses to girls who were bigger than the sizes we had. It broke our hearts. So we tried to make a list of the girls that still needed a dress, so more could be made for them. This little girl standing with our daughters, Leah and Raquel, was abandoned by both parents.

She had such a sweet, sparkling personality! She cared for her 4 younger siblings, so she was not able to attend school. Her older sister earned money to take care of the children. We wanted to take her and her siblings home with us!

After that we went to a couple churches and gave out dresses to needy families in that neighborhood. We had a little more time to try the dresses on some of the girls to make sure they fit. If you can’t find me in these pictures, it’s because I was the one taking them

The mothers hugged and kissed us afterwards to thank us. It made us feel that all our efforts had been worthwhile.

We thought these experiences alone were amazing. We had no idea that our adventures to follow would only get better.

This is the second article in a series of posts about our service in Nicaragua. Read the first HERE.

Have you traveled to any other countries to do service?

Right now they are running a free card promotion, just in time for Valentine’s Day!  The promotion will run through February 5th, and 10,000 will be available each day.  Insider tip: visit the site in the morning so you are sure to get one!

Get yours now HERE!


Free Card – Limited to the first 10,000

Also, they are offering 20% Off Valentine’s Day Cards. Expires 2/6/12. No Limit.

20% Off Valentine’s Day Cards plus Free Shipping. Code SHOPHOME20

Finally I realized that it was inevitable, and instead of keeping books away from my kids (or watching them every second) I would just resign myself to doing repairs every so often. I’ve decided that it is the price I’m willing to pay to instill in my children a love of books at an early age.

Here’s the pile of books I repaired the other night.

After being used by 7 kids, some of our books are getting a bit thrashed, or shall I say well loved? This is my second copy of this one.

I’ve read to many of my kids from birth, but especially at 6 months and up. At this age, they love board books by Sandra Boynton and Dr. Seuss. Of course they put the books in their mouths, but I just remind gently that we don’t do that. I try to just keep board books in the nursery for the first year or so.

I’ve purchased most our books second hand or at yard sales. Every couple months I get out my heavy duty tape.

I take all the books, covers and pages out of the bucket on my office shelf and I start taping.

I just can’t throw books away if they’re still salvageable. These are stories I loved growing up.

This one needed a bit more than tape. All the pages were coming out, so I had to resort to the stapler.

It brings me joy to see my children sitting for periods of time, absorbed in reading or looking at good books. And it doesn’t take long to read a few stories to the kids every night. The more I read to them, the more it solidifies their love of reading.

What a great reward!

How do you manage books around your young children?

We will get to see all the dresses and school uniforms that have been sewn down there in conjunction with Persnickety’s charitable giving program. From the beginning, Persnickety has committed to donate a portion of profits from each sale to the production of clothing for donation and gifting to a child in need. This started with sewing dresses for girls in orphanages and lower income families in South America. This program now includes sewing school uniforms for children from poorer families who can’t afford the uniforms. These help the children be able to attend school when they haven’t been attending.

The Rickenbachs are taking their three oldest children, who are each slightly younger than our three oldest, who we are taking as well. They are great friends and are so excited to be taking a trip together.

Here are the 4 oldest Rickenbach & Wilson kids

My husband, Mike and Craig Rickenbach went down to Nicaragua last year and found some great seamstresses  to do the job. The Buy-One-Give-One program also benefits the families of these women who sew the clothing, because it gives them steady work and increases their income significantly. The dresses are much more simple than what we’re used to. Here’s what some of the dresses look like.

I’m so happy that these girls are benefiting from the program! When we first launched Persnickety, we created the program and talked about modeling it after TOMS Shoes, but we didn’t know at that point how well Persnickety would do or if any of our dreams would actually become a reality.

Here are Mike and Craig at an orphanage last year.

Persnickety dreams have become a reality and we are overjoyed about it! Isn’t this sweet?

So now we get to come along to see how Persnickety is changing the world for good!

When we first met the Rickenbachs, we had some other friends and teachers in common that inspired us and convinced us that we had the power to change the world for good. I agree with what they taught, that we all have genius within us. We all have the power to influence others and our small and simple actions of influence can affect powerful change in the world.

We mothers have a magnified power to change the world. We have great influence on our children, and the principles we teach them will strengthen them throughout their lives. They will find ways to change the world positively if we show them how through our example.

We don’t have to go out of the country or even away from home to do important service. The sweetest service happens in quiet and personal ways, without fanfare or publishing. However, I know I’m inspired when I hear about how others are changing the world, and that is empowering.

I’ll be sure to post some pictures from our trip when we get back. The kids are hoping we get to see this volcano, and that it’s still smoking when we’re there.

We’ll pray for safe travel!

“I assume you are totally against the flu vaccine?? I hate this time of year because my gut says no you do not want to start injecting your child with a flu vaccine from now until eternity but at the same time doctors and others make you feel guilty that you aren’t “protecting” your child.  What are your thoughts?  Also, since your husband is a doctor does he think the risk of complications or death from the flu are really that great or is it typically only when there is an underlying health condition?”

“I see that you have done some about the swine flu. What about the flu and all the other vaccines “they” recommend. My girls had their yearly check-ups yesterday and I usually have them get the flu mist but not yet this year as I’m just not sure. I don’t know much about it actually. They highly recommended my oldest get it because she is diabetic.

I felt like a bad mom because I am following an alternative shot schedule for my youngest as outlined in “The Vaccine Book” by Dr Sears. She hasn’t had Hep B or MMR yet (because they don’t make MMR separate anymore). I feel kind of lost between reports that vaccines are safe and different reports that are not. I’m sure I’m not the only one so I thought this might be a good subject for you to weigh in on. Are your kids vaccinated at all? Thanks!”

Why I Don’t Get Flu Vaccines

There are many strains of influenza. Every year, the strains change. The pharmaceutical companies try to keep up by testing the strains that are going around. But by the time a vaccine is ready to go on the market, the strain has already changed (usually) and the vaccine quickly becomes outdated. There can also be harmful ingredients or contaminants in vaccines.

You’ve got to read this recent article that reports the flu vaccine is not as effective as everyone thinks. The article is published by naturalnews.com

Shock Vaccine Study Reveals Influenza Vaccines Only Prevent the Flu in 1.5 out of 100 Adults (not 60% as you’ve been told)

Are we getting duped by big pharma or our own government on this issue? Why should we get ANY vaccine if it doesn’t work?

Most normal people on the healthy side have little risk from flu or from many other childhood illnesses. People that are on the SAD (Standard American Diet) and have more serious health issues or are immune suppressed, elderly or very young, are at a higher risk from influenza and other illnesses. My husband says that complications mostly happen in people with underlying health conditions.

My mom attended a class last week on cultured foods taught by a lady named Tracey. Tracey has a little boy, who received a vaccine at age 2. Immediately afterward, he stopped talking and looking anyone in the eye. I would feel devastated if this happened to one of my children. I believe that usually the risk of negative side effects goes down with age and quality of health, but I always feel there is a risk. Dr. Christopher taught that vaccinations bypass the body’s natural defenses in an unnatural way and can cause disorders in brain and immune function.

Doctors often downplay the risks and chalk up problems to other causes, and I believe problems are under-reported. I don’t know tons of people personally that have been injured or had children directly injured-only a few, so perhaps the risk is lower than it seems. But I have heard many heartbreaking stories of children being injured or becoming dysfunctional from vaccines or just coincidentally after they received a vaccine.

I also know that there are complications from some illnesses that might be prevented in some cases by vaccines, but I haven’t found any firm data on this. Vaccinations seem to have helped reduce life-threatening diseases in other countries such as Africa, but improvements in sanitation and water cleanliness may have been a larger contributor to reducing such diseases.

We vaccinated our first child, but stopped halfway through the schedule on the second when I started learning about natural health. I just didn’t feel comfortable with it any longer. My older children have received a couple  shots in order to go to South America, but I try to avoid them as much as possible. My 4 younger children have not received any vaccines. One of the ways I can easily do this is by going to a naturopathic doctor for our health concerns instead of a conventional pediatrician.

As I’ve learned so many other ways to treat flu and other illnesses in my home, my confidence has grown. I’m no longer afraid of treating more serious problems myself, and to me, flu is definitely less problematic than other things. I would rather deal with the risks from flu than from vaccines. Tons of people have contracted the flu from the vaccine or have still gotten flu after getting vaccinated.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I think my children have a lower risk because we eat a healthy diet. For someone who has a junkie diet and is not willing to use natural health tools or take responsibility for their health, maybe that person should get the vaccine. I’m not telling anyone else what to do, I’m only sharing my personal philosophy on the matter.

This is the first of a several part series on the flu vaccine. Read my past related articles:

Is Swine Flu Killing Us, Or The Drugs?
10 Top Flu Remedies Audio
Swine Flu Vaccine: Get Informed Before You Vaccinate
Top 10 Things To Do When Your Child Might Have The Swine Flu

Have you decided not to vaccinate? Will you tell us why not?

Gingerbread Nativity

I saw an idea on Pinterest that I loved. It was to make a gingerbread nativity. I always balk at making gingerbread, because it takes so long and doesn’t turn out well most the time for me. I don’t use white sugar, so this may be why. I also don’t like to buy the unhealthy kits, because my kids always end up eating half of it before it gets discarded.

So when Bountiful Baskets offered gingerbread house kits without preservatives and hydrogenated fat, I immediately ordered some. We got creative and made this.

Can I just tell you, these gingerbread cookies were the best I’ve ever had! We ate almost this whole creation, and it was a compromise I felt just fine about.

My children loved showing off our nativity to my mother, Sandi, who visited.

Giving to Charity As A Family

We gave our kids some coins and let them pick out items to buy for people less fortunate. You can see how we did this here in my video. You’ll hear Joel yell “NO” when Mike asks everyone to listen (try not to laugh) and in a couple parts you’ll hear how the volume in our daily living can sometimes get LOUD.

I loved this giving activity! Mike and the older kids pooled their money together to buy a lamb and a community garden. We contributed to Gospel For Asia and International Rescue Committee this time. You can get a glimpse of the impact it had on my kids by some of the things they said.

Simplifying My Annual Newsletter

I learned a new way to create Christmas cards that simplified my life so much, I let go of my traditional, long newsletter (along with the hours-long creating, printing, buying more ink, folding, sealing, stamping, etc), imported my 200 contact list into CardStore.com and had them send my cards for me.

I ended up paying less than the cost of a stamp=about 35 cents, per letter (which means they lost money on my order). Can you believe that? I was so happy, I signed up to be an affiliate. I’m sure I’ll have them send my cards again next year too. What a relief! Even if I don’t get as good a deal next year, it will still be worth it to save the 3 days of time, hassle and expense  it used to take me.

Christmas Tree Selection

I learned not to buy another tree like this one next year. The prickles were so sharp, after we put up the lights and a few ornaments, no one wanted to touch it again.

Photographic Christmas Light Art

My son, Nathan, learned how to use my camera to make beautiful, photographic art with Christmas lights.

Aren’t those cool? The round ones look like roses.

Speaking of Nathan, he just turned 15 and could hardly wait a couple days for us to take him to get his learner’s driving permit. So now, he’s asking to practice his driving whenever possible. This has been helping me to learn a new kind of patience.

JibJab Christmas Playlist

I just learned how to make a playlist on YouTube of our funny JibJab videos. These are the ones you can put your own faces in.  You can check them out here.

My kids love watching these videos over and over. They help us laugh together and are so entertaining to show to guests.

Jesus Box

A couple days before Christmas, we created a container with strips of paper for writing down acts of kindness we’ve noticed being done in our home. It was a bit too close to the holiday for this to be a success, but I will get this box out just after Thanksgiving next year so we can discuss on Christmas day how well we’ve tried to follow our Savior’s example.

One thing we try to teach and reinforce to our children every year is WHY Christ’s birth is so important. Through scriptures and discussion we help them understand that because Jesus gave His life for us, we have the opportunity to return to live with our Heavenly Father, together with our loved ones someday. What more wonderful gift can we get?

What Are We Teaching?

Home education isn’t about just academics. It’s about teaching kids the principles in life which are most important. We want our kids to understand that the family is the core unit of society. What better way is there to emphasize this than through fun, bonding, holiday activities and traditions?

I’d love to know your thoughts! What is the number one thing you learned this holiday season, and what will you be sure to do next year?

A Mom Essentials reader named Melissa asked:

I am looking for some help with asthma. My 3 yr old is showing symptoms, including one serious attack. We have not had him diagnosed because I don’t want steroids or other meds. I watched my little brother go that route a long time ago and would like to avoid it.
So far my treatment regiment has been Breathe, Geranium (just tried it in a pinch because it has worked for inflammation), a tea for bronchial inflammation, and smelling raw honey. I am looking for other ideas for maintenance/cures while also having a remedy for flair ups. If you have anything in mind I would sure appreciate some help.

Thanks for your blog, I have been following this for a while and appreciate all the time you put in to it.

Sincerely,
Melissa

Response and Natural Asthma Remedies by Jenni

Hi Melissa,

Thanks for reading and good for you for seeking out a better path for your son! Your questions reminded me about an email I received from my friend a couple years ago. I had asked her what she did to manage her husband and son’s asthma. She told me about “Barley water” and gave me the recipe and instructions below. She mentions using mullein herb oil, which I also recommend to strengthen the respiratory tract and I sell it as Dr. Christopher’s Respiratory Massage Oil. Christopher also has a Respiratory Syrup, which contains a blend of herbs that strengthen the respiratory system.

My number one remedy for breathing is doTERRA’s essential oil blend called Breathe.

It also helps open the respiratory tract fast and helps it work better. I dilute it and rub it all over chest, back, neck and behind ears. I also diffuse it or have my kids inhale it straight out of the bottle.

My number one herb for acute difficulty breathing is lobelia. I use Vickie Sorensen’s glycerite and take 5-6 drops straight in the mouth to relax the throat and bronchials. It’s been very effective for me and has saved me at least one trip to the ER. I would use it 2-3 times a day until symptoms diminish, and up to every 15 minutes in acute situations.

Vickie teaches that many cases of asthma are caused by a small parasite. I’ve never seen scientific evidence of this, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true. I usually tell people, if it were my child, I would give them Vickie’s Parasite Cleanse until the bottle was gone. It’s definitely not going to hurt anything, and as a possible cure, I would definitely want to check that off my list.

Natural Remedies by my Good Friend, Kirsten Miller

“Here are a few of my tried and true remedies.  I had others I used when I first started but these are what were effective for the long term.

Barley Water

1 Gallon distilled water

1/4 cup dehulled barley (do not use pearl barley)

Pour one quart of distilled water into a saucepan, add the 1/4 cup of barley.  Simmer on low (but still consistently boiling) for 45 minutes.

When finished pour the water and barley back into the remaining water in the gallon jug.  Shake before every use.  We found that keeping the barley in the water adds extra to the water.

Barley water puts usable calcium in your blood.  It relaxes your broncioles just like your medications are supposed to. Cream of tarter is known to help with acute asthma attacks.  Mixing 1/4 tsp of cream of tarter in one cup of barley water can calm an acute attack.  Of course, I suggest if you want to try this have your inhaler close by.  Never ditch your asthma medications unless you have proven it for yourself.  Note:  my son will not drink the cream of tarter.  He won’t drink the barley water consistently plain either. I put in a drink mix in or mix up a drink flavor of his choice. Barley water is sold in Europe, they buy it when they are sick (side note, I was watching the movie Mary Poppins the other day and it mentioned in a song that the children did not want a nanny who stunk of barley water:)

My husband and son drink 2 glasses of barley water a day to keep their asthma under control, they drink more when they are sick or allergies make their asthma flare. Barley water is also great for any respiratory problems, including colds and stuffy sinuses.

I use Mullein oil on my son’s chest before he goes to bed.  It seems to relax his lungs and it clears his breathing.  He is also able to make it through the night without waking. In asthmatic patients it is prevalent to have them wake periodically at night, which indicates a breathing problem.  I don’t worry about it now.

During sickness and allergies (which is when my son is more prone for asthma attacks), I will make a mullein pack for his chest.  I take 1/4 cup of mullein and brew it in a cup of water.  After 10 minutes and it cools to a warm tolerable temperature I soak a washcloth in it and lay it on my son’s chest.  He always falls asleep because his lungs are finally at rest, especially after being worked so hard.

I just picked up a book called Prescription for Nutritional Healing
at the health food store.  It gave a barley water recipe.  It’s as follows:

Barley Water

1 cup Barley

3 quarts steam-distilled water

1.  Place the barley and the water in a large pot and boil for about 3 hours

2.  Cool the broth.  Strain out and discard the barley and serve the broth as desired.

I haven’t tried this one yet, it is definitely more concentrated.  Just thought I would throw it in.”

Thanks for asking, Melissa and thanks to Kirsten for allowing me to publish her ideas!

What have you found to be effective for asthma? Please let us know if you try any of these remedies and how they work!

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor (that would be my husband). This information is for educational purposes only and is meant to help you take more responsibility for your health. If you or someone you are caring for, is having serious trouble breathing, please get immediate professional medical assistance.

The ingredients can get a bit expensive, which is why I buy in bulk beforehand, but it’s worth every penny for at least one batch. We wrap the nuts festively and share them with our best friends.

The Yummiest Spice Combo Ever (Chili Powder, Cinnamon & Allspice)

• 2 C almonds (use all raw nuts)
• 1 C pecans
• 1 C walnuts
• 1 C cashew pieces
• 1 C pumpkin seeds (the green raw kind)
• 1/2 C Sucanat or Florida Crystals (dried cane juice)
• 1/2 C Pure Maple Syrup (don’t settle for the fake stuff)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp chili powder mix
• 1 tsp allspice

Chop or break big nuts into halves or smaller pieces.

In a large bowl mix the spices together,

then add the sugar and maple syrup and stir.

Dump in the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Line two large baking pans with parchment paper (it’s oh so easy to clean afterward) and heat your oven to 350°.

Lightly spray the parchment paper with oil and spread mixture evenly between the pans.

Bake for 12-15 minutes on the middle rake, stirring once, until nuts are slightly brown. Watch these like a hawk when they’re almost done so they don’t over brown.

Let pans cool for 10 minutes, then pull paper and nuts onto a rake or counter to finish cooling. The mixture hardens as it cools. Break into pieces.

Here’s the gift basket I made for some family friends. The nuts are in a festive bag within the basket.

These baskets are so easy to make! The most important thing to do is hit the after Christmas sales and buy cellophane, ribbon (Costco has it for cheap before Christmas), bags and inexpensive buckets or containers.

I included a loaf of bread in this one, but a few pieces of fruit goes a long way to make it beautiful. Then I just put in my goodies in a separate bag, wrap the whole thing in cellophane and add a pretty ribbon.

Do-it-yourself, beautiful gift giving and addictive, delicious yet healthy, holiday treats.

Growing up, my family went Christmas Caroling every year. I am the oldest of 7 kids and my mother, Sandi Griffiths, sang on the Lawrence Welk show through my childhood. We kids sang on the show every year, starred on television and were most excited about the present we got from Santa on the show (which actually took place a month before Christmas).

So music had deep roots in my family and we loved to perform for our friends and family every December.

There was something magical about jumping in the car with plates and bags of holiday goodies to share with our dearest friends and neighbors. Each time my dad stopped the car, we would all scramble out and race to the nearest front door. We would wait with bated breath for any sound of someone at home, and then hold our voices ready for the moment before the door opened. Each person got a turn handing the treat to whoever answered.

With so many kids it was quite an ordeal just to get us ready to go and then get in and out of the car thirty times in one evening. Invariably, someone had to go to the bathroom, so they’d run inside while we finished chatting at the front door wherever we were. We even started bringing candles with us, that we had to light up at each door before we knocked, and then try not to howl when hot wax dripped on our hands!

After several years of this routine, we got to be pretty good carolers. We started singing parts to our favorite songs and even bought sheet music of choral arrangements to learn. When we started going to college, we all looked forward to returning home to participate in this tradition. Even when we started getting married, we still didn’t want to miss out on the family caroling fun.

Finally, after many of us married and some had kids, not all of us could make it back since we wanted some time to ourselves and sometimes had to share time with in-laws.

So now, we are keeping this tradition in my immediate family with my own 7 children. (Wow…some days I still can’t believe I have that many kids!) So every year we bundle everyone up in our Christmas apparel, including the baby, and deliver cards and treats to our dearest friends and neighbors. It is quite a production, but I enjoy it deeply.

My sister reminded me of when Nathan and Raquel were young, we went caroling with my family. We sang “Deck The Halls” that year, and they didn’t have the whole thing memorized. So the adults sang the verses and Nathan and Raquel sang the “Fa, la, la, la, las” each time. It was so cute!

Christmas caroling is becoming a lost art, but for me it’s a way to give my love to others,  inspire my family with the beauty of music, continue a fun tradition with my kids and remind us all of the reason for the season, the birth of Jesus Christ.

I hope you get to hear some caroling this year, and you can always come hear some of our Christmas carols here on my Homepage or my article from last year “Our Family Christmas Carols”

Merry Christmas!

PS-Please let me know if you have ever gone caroling!

I originally published this article on MomnBaby.com, a social network for moms, for their Holiday blogging contest. I won first place! Thanks to everyone who left a comment!