We're Back from our Mexican Rivera Cruise!

What a great time we had. We got to see my aunt and uncle and cousins in in San Diego, whom I have not seen in a long time! (about 35 years for my cousin) We foolishly did not get any pictures! Then we toured the USS Midway aircraft carrier in San Diego Bay and quickly boarded the Elation cruise ship bound for the coast of Baja California! Quite surely my titles will not end up in line with the pictures so I will have list them ahead of the pictures.

1 Statue of Bob Hope (in the middle, in case you couldn't tell)

2 Elvis, my sweetie for taking me on this great trip! 

3 A magnificent full sail ship taking off just as we were about to start sailing. 

4. Formal night dinner 

5. First excursion trip on the shores of Mexico

6.This rock formation is one of the most photographed spots in Mexico and is the location for "Pirates of the Caribbean." It is the furthest most tip of the Baja Peninsula. 

7. On the excursion tour ship

8. Still more of the beautiful spots on the point. I wanted to get out and sit on that beach!

9. us in a popular restaurant with an amazing scenic view

10 The cruise ship in the distance

11  One of the many towel animals greeting us as we returned after dinner

12 We visited the bars during the day when we could see the magnificence of the decor 

13 At the La Boufador blow hole site over looking the churning waters 

14 Ah, wonderful, fresh, sweet coconut milk right from the shell and the many almost aggressive sellers in the background!

                                                                                         

20 Great Reasons to Homeschool

This may be a little small to read so if you actually cannot read it go to this link, scroll down to the color version and it will be large enough to read. (for some reason I could not get the image larger)  In fact, once you are at the source, go ahead and  pass the image on in your blog or emails. You will be participating in something called "viral advertising!" 

Go for it Jim! 

Enjoy!

PS Notice I changed the title to- 20 Great Reasons TO Homeschool. For those of us who already do educate at home these are familiar reasons. For those that do not (yet) these are just extra tidbit reasons in addition to the real intent of home discipleship because we all know none of us started homeschooling so our kids so they could wear their pajamas to school or so they could sleep in on rainy days! Some days are hard but I would NEVER have it any other way!

Living a lifestyle of learning daily!

Good cheap food!

That's it. I have got to lower my food budget! As always the cheapest food is closest to the ground, or closer to its source or growth. No packaging, no instructions on how to prepare and is not in bright colorful eye catching boxes in the mid level shelf at your favorite store. 

My low to the ground food products come in clear plastic bags from my favorite bulk and health supply store Azure Standard. Nevertheless, for all of us some packaged processed food slips in now and then. This is the taming I need to do. As my whole focus in the last year or so has been to go lower, going raw fits that intent but some cooked foods are OK. Such as a nice warm bowl of quinoa with raw almond milk, currants and a little raw honey. Here are healthy, nourishing foods you can always find at a good, low price consumed raw, sprouted or even cooked. 

• No matter what store
• No matter what season
• No matter if you don’t clip coupons.

eggs   bananas carrots corn broccoli lettuce cabbage celery potatoes sweet potatoes   onions can of wild Alaska salmon natural peanut butter yogurt

oatmeal   home made bread   home ground flour   corn meal   quinoa   brown rice   beans   lentils   pasta   spaghetti sauce   sunflower seeds   popcorn (not        microwaved)   string cheese   clover seeds for  sprouting

Living a Lifestyle of Learning daily

Natural minty toothpaste

Mix together:

~2 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil (You can purchase this from  this from Mountain Rose Herbs - $121 for a 5-gallon bucket.) Use more for a creamier consistancy

~3 Tablespoons of Baking Soda

~5 drops Peppermint Essential oil

~5 drops Spearmint Essential Oil

~a pinch of Stevia powder

I have used baking soda to brush my teeth before (and felt a bit like a martyr because the taste was less-than-desirable), but this was incredible! I am so thrilled at how well it turned out! The coconut oil gives it a creamy consistency, and holds the Baking Soda together, while the Stevia and essential oils gives it a yummy flavor. (I chose to use part Spearmint instead of all Peppermint because the Spearmint doesn’t have that “hot” mouth feel that Peppermint does. This is important to little people!) Note: I feel safe allowing these essential oils to be used in a situation where they could possibly be ingested because 1) the amounts are so small, and 2) both Spearmint and Peppermint essential oils are on the FDA’s GRAS (generally recognized as safe) list.

It doesn’t have that foamy effect that commercial toothpaste has, but I actually appreciate that - it doesn’t get the bathroom sink so dirty, and it doesn’t gag pregnant woman like the foamy kind does. I was amazed at how well it turned out, but the best part was how quick it was to mix together. It literally took less than five minutes including the time it took to gather the oils from another room. Our stores change brands of toothpaste so quickly, that I couldn’t have picked out toothpaste in the store as quickly as that because of reading labels. We mixed it in a tiny wide mouth half-pint canning jar, and just dip dry toothbrushes in it. Don’t get grossed out… remember coconut oil is anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, so it will even keep the toothbrushes more sanitary.

 Living a Lifestyle of Learning daily