Messy but Meaningful (formerly Ed Pursuits) Podcast - Happy Healthy Meaningful Life

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...

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 progr...

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...

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 step...

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.