Welcome to the Christmas Country Mom's Blog!
Life Skills: Generational Learning
Life Skills are passed from one generation to the next Life skills enrich us as individuals, families, and communities. I grew up on a farm. My Dad was a self-employed mechanic and tow truck operator. My Mom helped him with the garage, farm. She also had a small...
Making Father’s Day Special for Dad
Father's Day, a Special Day for Dad Making Father's Day special for Dad conjures up different thoughts for each of us. Our Dads stabilize our lives, provide direction, and ensure security. While they may be a disciplinarian, they show love in many ways Read about my...
New Year’s Diet Resolution, Start Now!
Many Make a New Year's Diet Resolution New Year's Diet Resolution, they abound. In fact, dieting and weight loss always rank high. Unfortunately, most people fail at that resolution, often within weeks. Read New Years by the numbers How can you ensure yours is a...
Homeschool Grades and Grading System
Homeschool grades are often a source of discussion. Homeschool grades are a mystery to many. While homeschooled students are often credited with having a strong work ethic and unending quest for knowledge, we wonder how to grade their accomplishments. Most are adept...
Vermiculture Composting at Heart of Christmas Farms
Vermiculture Composting - Why? Vermiculture composting, also known as composting using worms, is a very natural way to convert organic waste into usable fertilizer. Equally important, it greatly reduces waste in our landfills. The average person...
Avocado – Nutritious, Delicious, and Versatile!
Avocado - Nutritious, Delicious, and so Versatile! Avocado may well be one of our most nutritious foods, but many people still consider them only useful in guacamole. While they certainly are delicious in this Mexican condiment, there are so many other ways avocado...
Delicious Vegan Recipes to Liven Up Your Summer Cooking
Delicious Vegan Recipes to Liven Up Your Summer Cooking Vegan recipes for a healthy summer Vegan recipes for summer enjoyment! Plan your summer meals around these healthy vegan recipes! ...
Healthy Ketchup
Healthy Ketchup, Healthy ketchup is more than just a term. With most of the store brands boasting of a 60% tomato base, we'd like to introduce you to the ketchup that your grandparents would have recognized as real tomato ketchup. Healthy Ketchup is the real thing. We...
Mother’s Day Memories Created
Mother's Day Memories Mother's Day memories created by a day that we celebrate our mothers. Dinner at her favorite restaurant, a picnic, or whatever Mom loves best, usually includes with family time, a special gift of perhaps flowers or a special memento. Celebrating...
Homeschool Entrepreneurship
Interested in exploring the world of Homeschool Entrepreneurship? “Entrepreneurs, in the purest sense, are those who identify a need—any need—and fill it. It’s a primordial urge, independent of product, service, industry or market.” - Forbes.com Homeschooling and...
Raw Blueberry Apple Crisp Recipe
It's blueberry season in Florida! We love these little blue gems fresh, but also enjoy them in various recipes. Muffins, pancakes, and breads come to mind, but they are so good in their raw form that you might want to try them in raw recipes, too. Today's recipe...
Blueberry Almond Oatmeal Smoothie Recipe
Smoothies crafted from nutritious foods make healthy breakfasts that can be enjoyed even on the hottest days. Think of the recipe below as a template; we often change the greens and fruit according to what we have available, the milk might be water some days, and the...
Mentoring Kids
I recently saw a book that promised to help parents bond with their children while learning to cook with them. While at first thought, this might seem like an admirable idea, it left me wondering at what age we should teach our children to cook and thereby bond with...
Lavender For Health
Lavender For Health... Lavender is one of the most popular essential oils, and boasts a number of health benefits, in addition to its wonderful fragrance. Skin issues? Try Lavender. Flea problems? Lavender might be just what you and your pet need! Looking for a...
27 Vegetarian Recipes
Vegetarian recipes and complete meals can be much healthier and often cost less than those that include meats. Various studies including the China Study, the German Cancer Study, and the Adventist Health Study show a strong correlation between a healthy vegetarian...
Gluten Free Vegetarian Recipes
Vegetarian or gluten free can be a challenge. Being gluten free and vegetarian is an even greater dilemma, but one that can be undertaken! Once you learn a few recipes, developing your own gluten free vegetarian meals can be fun! The following 15 links are a great...
Vegetarian Chicken, Kale, & 3 Pepper Skillet
One skillet meals can be a real time saver and can make clean up easier, too. It's easy to modify traditional meat dishes into healthier vegetarian ones with a little practice and ingenuity. This Vegetarian Chicken, Kale, and 3 Pepper Skillet can be made with...
15 Vegetarian Meals for Spring
Vegetarian Meals for Spring...Spring...growing up in western New York State, Spring meant the snow beginning to melt with slush and mud taking its place, buds on the trees, and little spring flowers like daffodils and crocus beginning to peak through as I waited for...
Baked Carrot Cake Donuts
Carrot Cake is one of my favorite desserts...that sweet carrot flavor mixed with smooth cream cheese....it is irresistible! Baked Carrot Cake donuts are just as delicious and maybe even more special. History of the donut Our family loves donuts! These baked...
Tomato Cucumber Feta Dip
Tomato Cucumber Feta Dip is an incredible blend of some favorite foods with a light dressing to bring out the natural flavors. Served with tortilla chips, fresh celery, pita chips, or our favorite, the french baguette, this dip makes a great appetizer or a sought...
Family Musings & Memories
As I reflect upon life today and overall, I am reminded of the seemingly small things that make my life beyond splendid. While some might consider a memorable trip to Disney, I consider our small moments to be my most cherished family memories. Today was an average...
20 Health Benefits of Warm Lemon Water
20 Health Benefits Of Warm Lemon Water Lemons, rich in vitamin C, are a healthy citrus fruit that enhances your health and helps you lose weight. For a fresh morning start, squeeze the juice of one lemon into a glass of warm water and drink before eating or...
15 Plants to Grow this Spring
Spring is here! Spring, a time for birds to migrate north and gardeners to begin preparing their new gardens. While we all have our annual favorites on our "must plant" list, trying a few new ones can be fun, too! These 15 plants to grow this spring might provide...
Don’t Follow the Recipe!
"I'd love to have your recipe!" is as much a compliment as it is a request. I usually reply that I don't follow the recipe, at least not exactly. It took my husband many years to finally accept that I cannot always duplicate a meal. Oh, chili always has the same...
8 reasons to use Wool Dryer Balls
Have you tried felted wool dryer balls? Many options exist to help dry your laundry faster and keep it free from static. But have you looked at the list of ingredients on those scented dryer sheets? Even the unscented ones are full of chemicals. Instead of loading...
Backyard Chickens
Many communities now allow homeowners to keep a few hens in backyard coops. While you might not save money by keeping chickens rather than buying store bought eggs, you will have the advantage of knowing your eggs are fresh and from happy, healthy hens! Why free range...
Starting the New Year Anew!
It's 2016, a fact that is incredible enough by itself. I'm not afraid of growing old; in fact, I'm enjoying all that life offers as we grow and learn. I do, however, find it a bit unnerving at the speed that time seems to elapse. My youngest children will turn 16...
Blessing of Cooking with Family
Cooking for family is an art and skill that our family has passed from one generation to the next. It' s more than meal preparation; it's a tradition that is immensely important and further strengthens our family bonds. Tonight I had the pleasure of a family cooking...
Tabla Restaurant – Indian Chinese & Thai Review
Our family recently had the opportunity to visit the Tabla Restaurant at 5827 Caravan Ct, Orlando, FL and sample their Indian, Chinese & Thai cuisine. We decided to go on a weeknight for dinner without reservations. Full review with photos coming soon at FLORIDA...
Buying in Bulk
Have you ever dreamed of living within a Publix? When it's dinner time, you walk around the store and collect the ingredients to make your favorite dish. For breakfast oatmeal, you head to the aisle and choose the type, then head over to the raisins for a little...
Soap.club Tropical Soap Review
I used to love those pretty little gift soaps in fancy designs and beautiful colors with the strong flowery scents. I did, until I realized what was in them and how bad they were for my skin and overall health. Now I only use natural soaps that will benefit my skin...
TowelLab Absorbent Microfiber Cleaning Cloths Review
One way to save money is to use reusable cleaning supplies instead of paper towels so I was happy to find these Absorbent Microfiber Cleaning Cloths by TowelLab. These microfiber cleaning cloths are super soft, but also very absorbent. We use them around the house...
Cooking Savior Premium BBQ Grill Mat Review
Grill Mats are becoming the easy addition to keeping grills clean and food from being lost. The Cooking Savior BBQ Grill Mat is a good solution. While many enjoy them for meats, our family is vegetarian and I thought the mats might help avoid the vegetables rolling...
LED Ivory Pillar Candle with Remote Set of 4 Eglow Review
I love candles and would have them burning all the time, except that kids and dogs make them a little less than safe. This LED Ivory Pillar Candle with Remote might be just the solution! It uses real wax but no flame. Instead, it is battery operated, but looks like...
1Easylife Stainless Steel 6-sided Box Grater Review
Our normal kitchen grater is the standard four sided steel with a steel handle, not the most comfortable to use, though it works. When I saw the 1Easylife Stainless Steel 6-sided Box Grater, I was anxious to see if it was easier to use. This grater is a nice...
Florida Splendors
When you think Florida, what comes to mind? Beaches? Hurricanes? Disney? Alligators? Hot temperatures? Retirement haven? Afternoon rains? When we first visited Florida about 23 years ago, we immediately fell in love with the natural beauty, the peaceful nature,...
Learning Modesty
Modesty, what exactly does that word mean? According to dictionary.com , this noun has 3 main uses: noun, plural modesties. 1. the quality of being modest; freedom from vanity, boastfulness, etc. 2. regard for decency of behavior, speech, dress, etc. 3. simplicity;...
Happy Father’s Day!
Each Father's Day brings back some cherished memories for me, a bit of reflection and a look ahead. My Dad has always been there, a very stable force in what has often been a capricious life. Read about my Dad here Read about my Mom here. To be fair, he and...
Product Reviews- a family project!
I've been doing product reviews for a while now, but have recently stepped it up and am including YouTube video reviews (see my YouTube channel here) and Instagram photos, too (see my Instagram page here). Adding on these new dimensions to my reviews has given me a...
Ample Nutrition Complete Dog Prebiotic & Probiotic Review
Our dogs are part of our family; their health is extremely important to us. We feed them a highly nutritious diet, but often supplement that with probiotics as an extra boost, so were anxious to try Ample Nutrition's Dog Prebiotic & Probiotic. I was...
Get Well Before It Gets You (book) Review
Get Well Before It Gets You is a book by Lady Jenniviere for the pre-teen. It's listed as a science fiction & fantasy, making it intriguing for both boys and girls. I think it's important to note from the start that this book is intended to be a little scary,...
Pridebit 2 in 1 Julienne & Vegetable Peeler Review
Our family enjoys vegetables and fruit, and we prepare most of our foods at home, making the Pridebit 2 in 1 Julienne & Vegetable Peeler quite intriguing. With a large family where most of us cook often, we use a variety of peelers, shredders, and julienne tools...
Cowbell Review
Cowbells are quite popular at sporting events and celebrations. They add a new dimension to cheering on your favorite team or offering a celebratory pizzazz ! The Stewart Trading Cowbell is a bright spot among the many cowbells available today. Not only does...
Amazing Health benefits of Organic Blueberries
It's blueberry season in Florida and we are blessed to have an abundant supply of the beautiful blue nutrient filled fruit. Not only are blueberries full of flavor, they boast a robust nutrient profile, healthy dose of anti-oxidants, and are enjoyed in their natural...
100% Copper Mule Mug Review
The Copper Mule Mug is a beautiful, handcrafted novelty that is a conversation piece, but also quite useful! I was delighted to be able to review this mug, along with its counterpart copper shot glass. I am not one to drink the Moscow Mule (see recipe...
Dancing Pet Ear Wash Review
Our multi-dog household is fortunate to live in the country, so our dogs enjoy a great amount of outdoor time. Running in fields and swimming in the pond is great exercise, but it also means we are cleaning dog ears more frequently. When I was given the opportunity...
Natural Tripe Sticks Review
Our dogs love testing dog treats and toys, so were more than happy to test the Best Natural Tripe Stick Chews by Best For My Pets. Before I opened the package, I read the ingredients: 100% beef tripe, a natural high protein, low fat product. Best for My Pets...
Cloud 9 Retractable Lead Review
I like retractable leads for casual dog walking excursions, so when I was given the opportunity to review the Cloud 9 Retractable Lead, I was quite excited to do so. As a dog trainer, I keep several types of leads on hand for our various sizes of dogs and types...
I Will Never Forget ( book review )
I Will Never Forget: A Daughter's Story of Her Mother's Arduous and Humorous Journey through Dementia is a true book about patients of dementia and the families that love them. Dementia comes in many forms with Alzheimer's being one of the more known....
Wash Guard Large Lingerie Wash Bag Review
I was quite happy to be able to review the Wash Guard Large Lingerie Wash Bag. As you know, we have a large family and although most of our kids handle their own laundry, there is always plenty of combined loads to which to attend. One that we often combine is the...
bloglovin’
