Staying Healthy While Traveling | Biokult

by SimplyHollyJo on August 21, 2022 , No Comments

Living in a different state than family and friends means more traveling through the year, and trying to stay healthy while traveling. It’s always difficult on our bodies when we get out of our routine and home normals. We do not eat the best on travel days, and we don’t always eat the best while away from home either. There’s a lot more eating out with family, ordering in due to hectic visiting schedules and outings, and more sweets as well due to holidays and family celebrations that our travel is often scheduled around. This change often leaves us susceptible […]

Lazy Days and a Love of Learning | Unexpected Joy

by SimplyHollyJo on October 23, 2020 , No Comments

I feel as though I’m constantly talking about “this crazy time we live in.” I suppose it’s just going to be the running theme for some time. The world has been flipped upside down for most of us and we are all navigating some form of uncertainty and anxiety. It’s a time of great divide AND bonding. I have been doing my best to think of the good things happening in life right now, and the topic of Unexpected Joy is the perfect way to reflect. Lazy Days There has been a lot of laying around and relaxing, watching movies […]

Homemade Stock | My Go-To Recipes

by SimplyHollyJo on July 21, 2020 , No Comments

There are some thing that I simply love to make from scratch. Some of them are less time consuming than others. Homemade stock, much like homemade yogurt, has a long start to finish time, but little hands on time. I’ve been making it for years and slowly perfecting my process. A couple notes about ingredients. I simply keep our meat bones as they are cooked in other meals. I place them in bags and put them in the freezer until I’m ready to make a batch of stock. I’ve also heard of people getting bones from their butcher. I simply […]

Favorite Supplements for Kids | Family Wellness

by SimplyHollyJo on July 14, 2020 , No Comments

The health and wellness of my children a definite priority in my life. I am always trying to find the best ways to help their bodies stay healthy and function well. Sometimes I have to get creative because kids can be averse to things like eating vegetables every day, or eating more than their favorite vegetable. Over the last few years as a mom, I have found our current line up at supplements for kids. Below are ones that I keep on hand and use when I can convince my kids to take them, or when we need them in […]

Weighted Blankets for the Whole Family

by SimplyHollyJo on July 7, 2020 , No Comments

Our entire family sleeps with a weighted blanket now. I would have never imagined that. Years ago I learned about the benefits of weighted blankets. They are often used for children with sensory issues due to their calming abilities. The many benefits sounded like music to my ears. My mother had also heard about weighted blankets in a round about way through her doctor. She has fibromyalgia and her doctor suggested sleeping with a comforter with magnets sewn into it. She didn’t notice if the magnets helped, but she really enjoyed the feeling of the WEIGHT of the magnets. Some […]

Homemade Yogurt | My Go-To Recipes

by SimplyHollyJo on June 16, 2020 , No Comments

One of the recipes I love to do from scratch is yogurt. I do enjoy yogurt and the cultures that help with gut health. I don’t much like store bought yogurt. There’s so much sugar and added stuff. And it goes right through my boys, causing irritations and rashes. So I prefer homemade yogurt. I started making yogurt YEARS ago using the stove, and ice baths, and pots sitting in corners with heating pads under them. Over the years the recipe, well, less the recipe and more the process, has evolved. I now make yogurt in my Instant Pot. I […]

Connection Through the Storm | Apart Together

by SimplyHollyJo on May 22, 2020 , 2 Comments

Apart, together. What a great way to describe what we have been going through in the world lately. It’s been a time of isolation, but also a time of community, strangely. People that haven’t communicated regularly are even communicating MORE because of this crazy phase of life. It’s somewhat surreal to me. I am blessed to live near both my family, and my husband’s family. I don’t know how I would feel if we still lived states away from family, but thankfully, I don’t have to find out. Being close also means my little guys are both VERY use to […]

A Hope for Spring, A New Struggle | #AllThingsNew

by SimplyHollyJo on March 27, 2020 , 1 Comment

March is almost over and Spring is officially here. I had so much hope for Spring. Back in July/August of last year, I fell into one of my usual “funks,” and it somehow carried over into Winter. I have been dreaming about sun on my skin and grass under my feet. Of digging in the dirt, and playing in the water. But life doesn’t always go as planned. After a Winter of household sickness, and then trying to get myself out of the house more after our recovery, I had really started depending on the idea of Spring and Summer […]

The Benefits of Maca Root | Supplements for Mamas

by SimplyHollyJo on March 23, 2020 , No Comments

I came across maca root years ago, before having kids. I actually started it as I was discontinuing birth control for better health. I had originally gone on birth control for non-baby related reasons: acne and an irregular cycle. When I decided I had been on hormones for long enough and I needed to stop, I was worried about the irregular cycles coming back. So I did lots of research and found maca. I successfully transitioned off birth control and right into a normal, healthy cycle for the first time ever. I still attribute that successful transition to maca root […]

The Benefits of Probiotics | Supplements for Mamas

by SimplyHollyJo on March 16, 2020 , No Comments

Probiotics have been buzzing around for quite some time. This supplement might not be new to many moms out there, but it’s still a go-to for me. Just like magnesium, I’ve been using this supplement since before I became a mother. I am the daughter of someone with multiple auto-immune illnesses, so I know the importance of gut health. As someone with a background in the medical field, I know the havoc antibiotics can cause on gut health while aiding the body in killing off illness. So today I’m sharing the many benefits of probiotics, and why I use them. […]

The Benefits of Magnesium | Supplements for Mamas

by SimplyHollyJo on March 9, 2020 , No Comments

Magnesium has been in my life for years and years. Way back before I had kids, which isn’t really THAT long ago, but it feels like it to me. I first started using it in epsom salt form in baths. I love a warm, soothing bath. I’ve written before about how I love epsom salts for my kids’ baths and to combat sickness. It’s a staple in my home. After epsom salts, I eventually started trying pill forms. I learned more about their benefits while working in the front office of a primary care office. The nutritionalist came to our […]

The Benefits of Collagen | Supplements for Mamas

by SimplyHollyJo on March 4, 2020 , No Comments

Collagen is something that I take every day, and I will rave about it to anyone who listens. I am notoriously bad at taking supplements. I have a hard time getting into the daily habit of taking them, and then will go weeks without taking them. Except for that time I started taking Maca root powder. Maybe it’s just pills that I forget, and not powders. Hmm. Anyway! Collagen is something that I take daily, and actually get sad about missing. I take it EVERY day if I can help it. I take it in a flavorless powder form, and I […]