Sews2Reap

With two in college and one in high school, I am in the homestretch with this homeschool thing. We are fortunate there are so many resources available to us now.   Here are a few of my favorites that have benefitted all of my children, especially my youngest and most reluctant student.  All of the options below require internet and a computer or mobile device.  Crash Course Videos These thoughtful, well-planned videos cover many subjects from Biology, History, Literature, Psychology and much more.  I have found them to be a wonderful supplement to the curriculum we are using and in some cases, the series could just about replace another curriculum. These have become so popular that many schools are now using them and PBS has even partnered with the Green brothers YouTube channel. There are worksheets available for a few of the courses for free here.  Crash Course US History Crash Course World History For most of the other subjects  Teachers Pay Tea

We are stuck in the cycle of cold overcast days followed by warm windy days. It makes it hard to choose what to wear and everyone is complaining about their sinuses.  I have been choosing blends that are bright and zippy and feel like spring. Blend # 1 is 2 drops each of Peppermint, Lemongrass, and Rosemary.  This is bright and cheerful smelling to me. I love Lemongrass and it is great on its own or in combination with many other oils like citrus. Orange is another favorite. I use so much I order it nearly every month.  Blend #2 combine 4 drops of orange with 2 drops of peppermint. Spearmint is zippy all on its own. Blend # 3 is 4 drops Orange and 2 drops Spearmint Peppermint happens to be great sinus support and is good for sleepy mornings to help get you moving. 

I try to order a new product every month. This is my new oil of January.  I am loving it! Neroli is steam distilled from the bitter orange plant. It has been used for skin care and perfume for hundreds of years.  The scent is light and lovely. I bought it to support my aging skin but it has many other uses too including emotional support. It can be applied directly to the area you want to support. I like to use it in my skin serum recipe. (This is similar to Debra's Drops of Gold recipe. You can find the recipe at the bottom of the page. I modified it to the oils I have and you can too.) Right now I don't have Rose or 3 Wise Men, so I used the neroli and myrrh; about 10 drops each.  A few other oils that are great for your skin are Elemi (Franks less expensive cousin), Bergamot, and Ylang Ylang.  Use the serum nightly on your freshly cleansed skin, then apply any other moisturizers, if needed, once it has soaked in. This makes a lot! The r

I am the gal who said I will only use the oils sparingly, and just those we absolutely need. Well, Can I tell you we NEED a lot of oils! Really. It was ignorance of the potential in those wonderful little drops that I said those things.  Guess what? My productivity and emotional health have greatly benefitted from an oily drop as well. So here are just a few to get you started on and happier and more productive life.  This is my go-to every day for myself and my son. It helps me with mom overload. For my son, he stays on task so much better and in general is more productive in every part of his life. Including things like keeping his room clean, doing his chores without my nagging him and completing school tasks he finds tedious.  I personally apply to the base of the brain and the crown of the head. Don't forget to sniff the bottle. Contains: Roman Camomile, Black Spruce, Ylang Ylang, and Lavender All of my oily friends have been telling me to add W