Explore every episode of the podcast The Ed Pursuits - Homeschooling Homesteading Healthy Living Podcast

In this episode we talk about how important it is to follow up on the homeschool assignments we give our kids. Whenever you require more from your kids, it can be hard for them to make the transition to doing more than before. There may be complaints and feet dragging, but if you persevere and follow up with them before they are allowed to do the fun things, then they will know you are serious and adjust to the new schedule!

I share my experiences and thoughts on learning languages basically from my own experience and the experiences of my family. I spent 5 years in Mexico as a child and almost 4 years in France as an adult. The biggest thing is to listen so you can get used to the sounds of the language and to just keep trying!!

It turns out that that migraines and all kinds of issues can come up because of hormone fluctuations during the menstrual cycle. It's so helpful to really pay attention to your body and to start to find things that help. It's also important to be gentle with ourselves and keep up

hope that we will find solutions.

In this episode we talk about bringing some plants back inside. We talk about kitchen routines and finding the fortitude to clean the kitchen before bed- and a few other things. I hope to be keeping you good company!

The frost has come, but lots is still going on in the garden. We talk about which plants froze, which are still growing strong and lots about herbs and how to use them. I met a cool lady who grows a lot of herbs and dries and sells them. She also sells salves and tinctures and gives health consultations. I learned a little, she was very informative and interesting. It was really fun to see all her plants- and most of her plants were fine because she covered them all with mulch and sheets.

Here is her website https://mytrueessence.net/ and the fb page for her garden.

Here is a link to my instagram, fb page and blog edpursuits.com

In this episode we talk about incorporating sourdough easily even though it can be hard at first. I go into more detail on how we homeschool. It is hard, but worth it. Also focus on what you're doing right, and what strengths your kids have instead of just where you lack. That can really help get through the tough times when you think you're doing it wrong!!

In this episode we talk about what true humility is- it's in our actions rather than the fake outter humility people often think is humility. It's recognizing that we can always learn more and improve- it's a really good thing to strive for and to teach our children to strive for!

In this episode we talk about the logistics of planning dances and other social activities for homeschooled kids. The basic thing to do is to schedule the place and time. It helps to talk to people to make sure you have some people who will be there for sure. And then go from there!

In this episode I talk about finishing up my homeschooling career. I still have a few years left, but my youngest is 12 and my 5th child is headed out to college. None of it is new for me anymore, but we have to keep going! It is a grind and I have to make sure to keep on task.

For Mindset Matters today we talk about understanding your strengths and weaknesses and making plans to improve and progress.

Thanks for listening!

In this episode I talk about baking sourdough bread regularly. I've found 2 recipes that I really love and they have been fairly easy to incorporate into my schedule- I just have to do it on days that I'll be home.

Here are the 2 recipes I've been using with great and consistent results: https://edpursuits.com/blog/2024/09/22/my-everyday-sourdough-bread-recipes/

In this episode we talk about how homesteading is not just trying to become self sufficient because that is almost impossible, but it's more about learning skills, supporting your local farmers and understanding where our food comes from and how to produce some of it. This is a basics discussion which will hopefully encourage you to go ahead and try something new, and encourage you to keep trying even when things don't go so well!

In life, there will always be something that goes wrong, and we have to be adaptable unlike all the extinct animals! Every year is different, it's important to be ready to make changes and adjust plans as needed!

Kids need to be challenged in order to grow, improve and build their confidence. This comes naturally to some kids and others have to be pushed a little.

We talk about how great walking is and how many steps you can actually get in while doing your chores!!

We talk about different classes and co-ops and the way we did writing and geography last year. It went so well, we're adding Logic, Biology and Music this year! Follow me on socials at edpursuitscom and the blog at edpursuits.com

We talk about exposing our kids to different kinds of music and making it fun. The different experiences of my kids in their musical education and how our recitals work!

We talk about gratitude, Pollyanna, Victor Frankl and the Come to your Senses book by Stanley Block. Gratitude is such a powerful tool in healing and in living a happy life. Life gives us plenty of opportunities to practice gratitude when things go wrong and even when they don't. Let's always be grateful!!

We talk about the benefits of comfrey in the garden and as a medicinal plant. We talk about how awesome walking is and how great hikes are. And finally a bunch of information about poison ivy- how to avoid it, how to treat it and how some people have no reaction to it at all!

I just go through the list of different plants I have growing and how yhey are doing. I planted a few things in the fall and covered them with insect netting, some of my early planted seeds died probably needed water. I talk about my different seedlings and planting onions and potatoes- I'm in zone 6 in the Ozarks- so gardening is a bit difficult here! I hope your garden is great!

I love self development and entrepreneurship! Tai Lopez has done an excellent job of boiling down and teaching important life lessons that apply to all of us. He validates our religious teachings in a non religious, logical way that helps young people understand what matters and what to expect in life. It has been such a great program for all my kids, and myself! Thanks Tai!! Check out the 67 steps here! He's revamping the program- totally worth it!! https://tailopez.com/podcast67steps

We recently held a geography fair and it went really really well! All the kids worked hard on their displays and really learned a lot. We talk all about it in this episode!

We talk about a few different recipes and how nice it makes it to always have certain foods on hand- like sourdough starter for crepes, pancakes, pan breads and sourdough bread. Also beans and bone broth are great to use in many recipes. We also talk about spelt breads, kefir and salads. We may need a part 2!

We talk about the main points learned from the Birth Order Book by Kevin Lehman. And that only took about 7 minutes, so we moved in to talk about The Explosive Child and how to listen to your kids and help them work through issues as they arise.

So there was an amazing story of a double rescue off the coast of Mexico that I've been sharing with friends all week. It has strengthened my faith in the Lord and built my trust in Him. That's one of the most important life lessons for us and our kids too! Charity, kindness, forgiveness, compassion and faith are all part of that too!! Thanks for being here!

We talk about gardening in general and how it can be a frustrating experience, but to be thankful for everything you learn from it and thankful for every little bit of food you grow! Some things grow well one year and then not another, but it's still fun and very useful. Get ready to start planting inside or out or both! Tis the season!

We talk about how important positive self talk is for our health, as are positive social interactions. Gratitude journaling and positive affirmations can help. Also just noticing negative self talk can change things for you. Once we have helped ourselves and practiced these skills we will be able to help our kids with their perfectionism and fear of failure too.

I talk about the different play groups and co-ops we've participated in over the years. Also different ways to find friends for your kids and how to manage when there are no friends, especially in the teenage years.

In this episode, we talk about planning and the many things to balance as a homeschool mom. Figuring out what to focus on, what is most important and what upcoming projects we may be working on- also some self care and other stuff!

We are going through a transition with adult children going off to do their things, lots of paydays and happiness, but also some adjusting to the new dynamics! Enjoy every phase of life and if you are in the raising kids phase, hold them close!!

We talk about herbs such as cayenne, green tea, turmeric and garlic helping to relieve headaches and other aches and pains. Ginger is fantastic also. Make sure the patient is able to rest and relax. Fire cider and elderberry syrup are super helpful for pretty much any ailment. Also honey infused with garlic and onions is great!

Economics is such a valuable thing to understand. The world makes so much more sense when we understand a few fundamentals of economics and some vocabulary. When my husband who has a BA in Economics couldn't find a course he liked for our kids, he wrote this one. It is called Economics for Kids by Ryan Semerau and it is sold on amazon. All our kids have really enjoyed learning about it from this workbook. I hope this helps! amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Economics-Kids-economics-explained-understand/dp/B09C1FLGLH/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=economics+for+kids&qid=1696131879&sr=8-5 website: https://econ4kids.com my blog: https://edpursuits.com my shop: https://mumbalumba.com

In this episode we talk about sourdough, what it is and how to use it. We talk about baking 100% whole grain breads, pancakes, muffins, crepes and pan bread.

What I learned from the book the Body Doesn't Lie by Vicky Vlachonis. I really like lemon water, it's important to stay hydrated, the Tibetan rejuvenation exercises and morning glory routine feel good. Watch our thoughts, feed ourselves with positivity, be grateful, love our bodies and more! https://www.amazon.com/Body-Doesnt-Lie-Program-Positively-ebook/dp/B00DB39U9K/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=2M3UWXOQAFWJU&keywords=vicky+vlachonis&qid=1695527739&sprefix=vickyvlachonis%2Caps%2C173&sr=8-1 my blog: https://edpursuits.com my shop: https://mumbalumba.com

I share a bit about my weight loss struggles and what I've learned from some different programs. I talk about Hayley Pomroy's books and how they helped me. Her program is the only one I've lost any weight on, although I've learned and benefited from every health program I've tried. Pomroy has 4 books with slightly different programs that are all very helpful in different ways.

Some weeks we just flat out won't get everything done that we'd like to finish!! And that's ok. It's important to remember that we are still making progress and still moving forward even when kids get sick or injured or other things come up. I'm going to start using my planner again and make sure I take care of myself and not get so caught up in projects! Thanks for listening!

We use Story of the World by Susan Wise Bauer, Yesterday's Classics, and Great Courses for our history foundation. Along with those we do lots of reading and field trips. We go into depth on some of the best books and resources out there! :

We talk about a few different resources and how to use them to help your child with spelling. The one we've used the most is Spelling Power. We've also used The Natural Speller and the phonics games from latter day family resources. We also mention The Birth Order Book by Kevin Lehman.

In this episode we talk about what kids really need to learn and do and how you can tailor your homeschool to them and on the things they need. We also talk about some of the downsides of the government schools and how you can always send your kids back if homeschooling doesn't work out. But chances are that if you try homeschooling, you'll probably really enjoy it!

If you are not being cared for, you will not be able to care for others. You cannot pour from an empty cup. It can be hard to do, but it's important to exercise, drink enough water, get enough sleep, have meaningful relationships, take time to be still and calm and to heal. Things will work out!!

We talk about which subjects to study together and which ones to study individually. We talk about a few different resources for the different subjects and how it goes!

We talk about vision therapy, who it's for, how it can help and how to implement it into your homeschool.

We share our experience with speech therapy and learning to pronounce the American "r" sound. Start anything new with something quick and easy and then work up to more challenging exercises.

In this episode, we talk about how John Taylor Gatto was able to describe the public school system and how that can help you determine what kind of values you want to emphasize in your homeschool. Gatto emphasized the importance of alone time and allowing people to accomplish goals by learning through doing.

How to schedule your homeschool, rest times, activities, playdates, and cleaning. Also motivating kids to do their work and which subjects to do one on one and which to do as a group. Go to edpursuits.com to learn more!

Things we'll be discussing on this podcast- homeschooling, homesteading and healthy living! I hope it will be be encouraging and helpful in your noble endeavor!! Go to edpursuits.com to learn more!

We talk about the different ways to homeschool- school at home, unschooling, classical, Charlotte Mason, Christian and secular. We talk about John Taylor Gatto, public schools, what to be sure to do every day and how to decide what to teach and how to best help your children learn. Go to edpursuits.com to learn more!