Amy Beth

October 22, 2013

From Model Student to Aspiring Unschooler: What my success in the traditional school system taught me about its shortcomings

##A short academic biography…

I was one of those students that most people secretly hate. I got straight A’s. I scored in the top percentiles on aptitude tests. I consistently set the curve in my classes. While I worked hard, learning material and showing what I learned on assessments came easily to me so I rarely experienced any failures. I went through the traditional public school system from kindergarten to graduation and left feeling like a complete success.

**Now that I’m a mother and contemplating my own child’s future education, I’ve realized I don’t want him to have the same experience.**

Read more…

Permalink | Filed under: , ,
October 18, 2013

Navigating Nutrition – Grains

navgatingnutrition

So several weeks ago I promised to start a series of posts comparing how different eating plans treat each food group in the hopes of finding some overarching guidelines when choosing healthy foods. Today we’ll be looking at grains. If you consider the diet of a typical American, you know that grains are often the foundation of many meals, from cereal or toast in the morning, to sandwich bread at lunch, to pasta or dinner rolls for supper, to cookies or other sweet baked goods for snacks and desserts. It’s very easy to fill up on grains. The question is whether that is good for us. So lets take a look at what the different diets recommend.

Read more…

Permalink | Filed under: , ,
September 7, 2013

Navigating Nutrition – Introduction

navgatingnutrition

I’m standing in a grocery store aisle trying to pick out some snacks for my husband to take to work. They need to be filling and substantial, but I feel like they should also be healthy. So I stand around and consider labels. This snack is “all-natural” but full of soy. Didn’t I read somewhere that soy is bad for you? This one is low-fat, but full of sodium. This one is low sodium, but has a million preservatives. I suppose I could just get an apple, but isn’t fruit high in sugar?

Does this feel familiar to anyone?

Read more…

Permalink | Filed under: , ,
September 3, 2013

For Scary Times

Sometimes it’s hard to listen to the news. News about unstable nations that don’t seem to listen to reason. News about stable nations that can’t seem to agree on anything. News about the blatant disregard taken towards our environment. News about crazy dictators who may or may not have access to horribly destructive weapons. News about humans reduced to commodities. The list goes on and on…

Being a mother has changed the way I hear these stories. I used to just shake my head in disappointment. Or get all righteously indignant about the ways the rulers of the world rule the world. But now I worry. And fear.

Read more…

Permalink | Filed under: ,
April 25, 2013

May You Be as the Ostrich

For those that struggle to be content with who you are, who wish you were more talented, more daring, more charming, more productive, just….more. Be encouraged by these words:

> “The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, though they cannot compare with the wings and feathers of the stork.
> She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand,
> unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them.
> She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labor was in vain,
> for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense.
> Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider. (Job 39:13-18 NIV)

The ostrich is not beautiful, especially compared to the graceful stork.
She is not a loving, patient mother. In fact, she hardly seems to notice her children.
She isn’t wise. She doesn’t always make the most reasonable choices. She wastes time.

Read more…

Permalink | Filed under: ,
April 20, 2013

Inaugural Post

My little place called home is not exactly Pinterest worthy. It’s not a well oiled machine. It’s not all natural. It’s not super organized. It’s not super clean. Actually, take out the super; it’s not organized or clean. It’s not filled with the aroma of fresh baked bread or fresh cut flowers. It’s not undergoing any impressive changes that will warrent a “big reveal” or humming with the activity of super cute crafting.

But it’s MY little place called home. Mine to make into a happy place. A peacful place. A place that nourishes, encourages, and inspires the people inside it. It’s the place I share with my family. The place I am the most myself. It’s the place I dream my biggest dreams.

![Our Little Place](http://littleplacecalledhome.com/files/CandMatdoor.jpg “Our Little Place”)

Right now I’m on a journey of creating the life I want in this little place called home. I’ve been a blog follower for a while now, and I’ve spent a lot of time reading about other people’s little places, and subsequently I’ve spent a lot of time being envious of what their places are like – how organized and coordinated and healthy and creative. I’ve decided it’s about time I stopped just wishing my place was different and started doing something to make it what I want. It will require some changes both in habit and, more importantly, in attitude. This blog is the story of those changes. It’s the story of this little place called home.

Permalink | Filed under: , ,