Kathleen | Roots & Boots

A Surprising {and Easy} Remedy for Post-Infectious Cough

The moral of this story (I’m giving it to you first, so you won’t miss it): always, always, always hit it hard when you feel something coming on.  Do not ignore the signs.  You do not have time to get sick! However, if you miss the signs or find yourself so busy…

Rats in the Cellar and Milk on the Garage Floor

Yesterday I cried over spilled milk.  2 glass jugs of it, to be exact, all over the garage floor.  Along with broken glass from said jugs.  {Sigh} Little Brother was just trying to help, by toting in the last two jugs of milk from the back of the Explorer.  Poor guy. The incident sort of…

Plan a Date Night with your Kids

Recently, Mr. Native Texan and I decided to schedule a once-a-month Date Night with our kids. We’d been noticing some negative trends in our family dynamics, and have been feeling a lack of quality time with the boys might be the culprit.  Now that our homeschooling is in full swing, most days at home are…

Laundry Room Makeover, Part 3: The System {The Drying Rack}

I spend a lot of time in the laundry room.  It’s like my home-within-a-home.  And this space serves as a passageway from the main living area to the powder room, which puts the contents of the laundry room on display for guests. Two very good reasons to give some attention to this small, hardworking room–don’t…

Favorite Children’s Books Roundup {Gift-Giving Alert}

Christmas is just around the corner (yikes!) and what better gift for the young friends in your life than an excellent book? If children’s books are on your shopping list this year, you’ll love this roundup of my family’s favorite children’s books. Before we get to the list, this seems like the perfect opportunity to…

DIY Chest Rub {with essential oils}

  It’s that time of year!  I hope you won’t have the opportunity to put this recipe to use anytime soon, but if you do, you’ll be ready. This DIY Chest Rub supports respiratory health, which is especially helpful during the winter months, don’t you think?

How to Give Your House that ‘Holiday’ Smell–the Easy, Non-Toxic Way

The holiday season is fast approaching.  Many folks love to fill their homes with “holiday scents”–cinnamon, pine, vanilla and citrus are popular aromas that evoke cozy feelings associated with Thanksgiving and Christmas. By now you’re no doubt aware that artificial fragrance is downright dangerous, having been linked to cancer, migraines, fertility issues and the like.…

Favorite Fall Recipes {gluten-free}

Slow Cooker Season I use my crock pot pretty heavily all year long, but fall always seems to kick off the slow cooker season.  Don’t you agree? Here are a few favorite recipes just right for colder weather, many of them made in the crock pot…

November Nature Study {with book recommendations and free printables}

  It’s here!  The Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter for November came out today!  It’s packed with lots of great tips and resources, including an article by yours truly. 🙂 The entire newsletter is all about using wonderful nature books to enhance your family’s nature study.  (Sound familiar?)  As usual, wonderful (free!) nature printables are included.

Running Behind: Happy {Belated} Fall!

What with our trip to London {it was so great, and I’ll be blogging more about it sometime soon…} at the beginning of the month, and then trying to play catch up in all areas of life upon our return, we basically skipped the first half of fall. Which is a little bit sad, because…