Life Unbridled

12/02/2023

Social club starting up in January for kids 7-13! Join our group at Los Gatos Farms for 1.5 hours on Sundays for child-directed activities at the farm working with our ponies and horses. This will be a non-riding program.

Students will learn basic horse care, safety and handling while socializing with a mixed-age group of peers. The group aims to foster inclusivity and acceptance, empathy and compassion for others (including our animals) and the emotional well-being of our students.

If your child is an animal lover and is ready to make some likeminded friends at a local farm, reach out to get placed on a waitlist for this upcoming program!

10/13/2023

🐴🐴 Happy Herd Homeschool Enrichment Program - Opening up a 6-week equine learning session at Los Gatos Farms for ages 7-13!

Students will meet weekly (rain or shine) for 1.5 hours to learn all about the world of horses from an experienced equestrian and credentialed teacher

Class will be as student-directed as possible to ensure students remain engaged and are able learn according to their strengths and interests, but may include topics such as:

Horse safety and handling basics
Horse body language and communication
Breeds, colors, markings, measurements
Anatomy and movement
First aid, nutrition and wellness
Horse, tack and barn maintenance

In addition to all the embedded horse-y fun, academics are incorporated situationally into each session as is appropriate and functional, for example measuring a horse’s height, estimating their weight and designing a nutrition plan based on the number, reading and defining new equine-related vocabulary, and so forth.

Working with horses is also an amazing opportunity for social-emotional learning! Students develop greater empathy, self-awareness, responsibility, confidence, and more through working with the horses alongside a mixed age peer group.

✨ Bonus ✨ we have goats, chickens, new ducklings and bunnies at the farm that all need attention too! Students will have opportunities to see and interact with these animals as well.

Details:
Ages 7-13, animal lover is a requirement!
Every Tuesday from 10:30-12:00
From Nov 7- Dec 12
Cost: $450

Minimum of 3 students for program to run
Sign up using the following link:

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=23658176&appointmentType=53937349

04/24/2023

Have kids 5-10 who love animals? 🐴🐐🐷 Come enjoy some sensory fun at Los Gatos Farms as we celebrate National Occupational Therapy month!

A local OT and I are teaming up to offer this one-time 1.5 hour workshop next weekend

Kids will experience the farm and what it’s like to work with our ponies, exploring their senses and learning about horse handling, safety and care!

On the agenda: painting our horses 🎨, bathing the horses 🛁🧼, and completing a fine motor take-home horse craft! 🐴

When: Saturday April 29, 11:30-1:00pm
Cost: $50

Class is capped at 8 students so we can prioritize safety around these beautiful big animals. Comment if you want the link to sign up!

03/26/2023

Spring is here! 🌺🌷 and along with the seasons, we are noticing changes here at the farm…

Our horses are losing their winter coats, so students learned about shedding today to answer the questions: How do horses know when to shed? Why do they shed, and when?

Students followed a sensory trail, and explored the ways we could smell, hear, see, and feel springtime around us.

And, we put together our own nature palettes with pieces of spring foliage we discovered around the farm.

Happy springtime everyone! Send a dm to inquire about your child joining us for our Learning with Horses class, every Sunday 10-11:30 at Los Gatos Farms.

03/13/2023

Well, rainy weather might have meant our Sensory Saturday Workshop got canceled… but we made the best of our indoor time together at our regular weekly Learning with Horses class!

🧲Today we learned about parts of the hoof, why these body parts are often considered the most important for horses, and why some horses wear shoes and some don’t.

🍀And just because St Patrick’s day is around the corner… students created their own lucky horseshoes!

This class meets weekly, Sundays 10-11:30. Send a dm or comment to see if this class is a good fit for your child!

03/03/2023

🎉Are your kids ready for some sensory fun at a local farm? 🐴🐓🐐

I am teaming up with an Occupational Therapist to host a sensory workshop at Los Gatos Farms on March 11 - pony rides, crafts, and mindfulness & grounding exercises are some of the items on the agenda!

This is for kids ages 5-10, and will be 12:00-1:30pm

$75 per participant

We are capping this event at 8 participants so grab your spot if you want to join in the fun!

Comment “Me” if you’re interested, or send a dm!

02/12/2023

Today we celebrated Valentine’s Day a little early!

❤️Students completed heart-shaped addition and subtraction problems to figure out the secretly coded Valentine that our mini helper, PT, received.

💕We also created heart maps where students made a visual representation of the things, people, and activities they love.

Of course, everyone had a horse somewhere on their heart map. ☺️🐴

Are you interested in joining a Learninf with Horses Class? Drop-ins or membership options available - comment “interested” and we will be in touch!

11/27/2022

Today’s students learned about goal setting, new emotion vocabulary, and the power of positive thinking, all with the help of our horse helpers 🐴❤️ make sure you’re on the email list to be kept in the loop about our weekly Learning with Horses workshops for kids 5-8! Comment for more information.

11/16/2022

Spots open for Sunday!

This next week, students work as a team to piece together a culturally responsive recount of the Thanksgiving story, accompanied by one of our best equine historians 🐴 😉

We will expand reading skills while learning about how different Indigenous cultures view and celebrate Thanksgiving

And finally, we will end with an activity with one of our horses that will help students define gratitude, understand its importance, and learn how to practice it in their daily lives

Details:

Who: kids 5-8
Where: Los Gatos Farms
When: Sunday Oct 16, 10-11:30am (drop off or stick around)
Cost: $45, or monthly membership available at significant discount

We meet weekly, join us once or become a member and have access to weekly classes!

Comment if interested - hope to see you there for some fun and learning!

11/01/2022

This upcoming weekend we are focusing on the history of Indigenous cultures and their relationship to the horse 🍂🐴Here's the plan:

Indigenous Horse History - for a long time, textbooks and historians claimed horses were brought to the Americas by European explorers and settlers... today, we have new information that changes the narrative! We'll learn all about the history of Indigenous horses and create a timeline to show what we know.

Main Skills Addressed: History, Reading Comprehension, Language Arts

Indigenous Horse Painting- When we see pictures and drawings of Indigenous war horses, we often see that the horses are painted. But what do the different markings and designs mean? We'll find out, and paint one of our own!

Main Skills Addressed: History, Art

Who: kids 5-8
Where: Los Gatos Farms
When: Sunday Oct 16, 10-11:30am (drop off or stick around)
Cost: $45, or monthly membership available at $140/month

***We meet weekly! Join us once, or become a member to have access to all classes. Each weekend has a different lesson plan covering a range of academic subjects (following standards for K-2nd grade) and incorporating horse safety, care and handling skills into programming.***

10/18/2022

Come join us at the farm for some Halloween themed fun and learning!

Here’s the agenda for this weekend’s Learning with Horses workshop:

👻Costume Relay Race - it’s a race to see who can get the costumes on and lead the horse back to the team before time runs out!
Main Skills Addressed: Horse Handling and Safety

🪦Spooky Obstacle Course - students create a Halloween themed obstacle course together and take turns doing the course with one of the horses
Main Skills Addressed: Spatial Planning, Gross Motor Skills, Horse Handling and Safety

💀Skeleton Horse - students will work together to create a real skeleton horse by painting on one of our trusty helpers 🐴
Through this activity they will be exposed to the basics of the equine skeletal system!
Main Skills Addressed: Science/Anatomy, Fine and Gross Motor Skills

Who: kids 5-8
Where: Los Gatos Farms
When: Sunday Oct 16, 10-11:30am (drop off or stick around)
Cost: $45, or monthly membership available at significant discount

We meet weekly, join us once or become a member and have access to weekly classes!

Comment if interested - hope to see you there for some spooky fun!

10/16/2022

Thanks Detective PT for helping us solve a Halloween mystery today! And Warren, for being a living word bank full of spooky words for our collaborative scary story… and Charlie for being our “bowling ball” to knock down some math ghosts!

Did you miss class this weekend? Join us next time! We meet weekly, come for a drop in class or become a member to have access to weekly classes at a discount.

Kids 5-8 welcome.

Comment for info!

10/14/2022

Last chance for those who want to join Sunday! Comment if interested

Come join us at the farm for some Halloween themed fun and learning! 👻🎃💀🐴🔎

Here’s the agenda for this weekend’s Learning with Horses workshop:

🎃Spooky Tails - students work together to create a scary horse story, inspired by new vocabulary words displayed on cards placed on one of our horses
(Creative Writing, Vocabulary Development)

🕵️‍♀️Pony Detective - along with one of our best equine detectives 🐴 🔎🕵️‍♀️, we will gather, read and follow clues around the farm to solve a mystery
(Reading Comprehension, Horse Handling)

👻Bowling for Ghosts - students will play a game of “bowling” - students must try to get the horse to knock down as many “ghosts” as possible, then they must solve the math problem on one of the ghosts before passing the horse to the next student!
(Math, Horse Handling)

Who: kids 5-8
Where: Los Gatos Farms
When: Sunday Oct 16, 10-11:30am (drop off or stick around)
Cost: $45, or monthly membership available at significant discount

***We meet weekly! Join us once, or become a member to have access to all classes ☺️ Each weekend has a different lesson plan covering a range of academic subjects (following standards for K-2nd grade) and incorporating horse safety, care and handling skills into programming.***

Comment if interested - hope to see you there for some spooky fun!

10/11/2022

Come join us at the farm for some Halloween themed fun and learning! 👻🎃💀🐴🔎

Here’s the agenda for this weekend’s Learning with Horses workshop:

🎃Spooky Tails - students work together to create a scary horse story, inspired by new vocabulary words displayed on cards placed on one of our horses
(Creative Writing, Vocabulary Development)

🕵️‍♀️Pony Detective - along with one of our best equine detectives 🐴 🔎🕵️‍♀️, we will gather, read and follow clues around the farm to solve a mystery
(Reading Comprehension, Horse Handling)

👻Bowling for Ghosts - students will play a game of “bowling” - students must try to get the horse to knock down as many “ghosts” as possible, then they must solve the math problem on one of the ghosts before passing the horse to the next student!
(Math, Horse Handling)

Who: kids 5-8
Where: Los Gatos Farms
When: Sunday Oct 16, 10-11:30am (drop off or stick around)
Cost: $45, or monthly membership available at significant discount

***We meet weekly! Join us once, or become a member to have access to all classes ☺️ Each weekend has a different lesson plan covering a range of academic subjects (following standards for K-2nd grade) and incorporating horse safety, care and handling skills into programming.***

Comment if interested - hope to see you there for some spooky fun!

10/03/2022

Humans aren’t the only ones that love Fall foods… our horses do too! 🍁🍂🍃🐴🍎🎃🥕

This weekend’s Learning with Horses workshop at the farm focuses on:

Horse Face Markings - students will complete a horse pumpkin craft to take home ( materials provided)

Using the Scientific Method - students will perform an experiment involving feeding horses carrots, apples, and pumpkin

Nutrition - introductory lesson involving these fall foods

Who: kids 5-8
Where: Los Gatos Farms
When: Sunday Oct 9, 10-11:30am (drop off or stick around)
Cost: $45, or monthly membership available at significant discount

Comment if interested - hope to see you there for some fall fun!

09/29/2022

It’s fall and the colors are changing! 🍂🍁🍃 so this weekend our students are learning about different colors and markings of horses by touring the farm and completing a horse craft modeled after their favorite horse here. We are also covering basic horse anatomy and movement, and comparing that to how we move and are made as humans!

This class is 1.5 hours, you may drop off or stick around the farm 🐴☺️
Sunday, Oct 2 at 10:00am
Los Gatos Farms
All materials provided

This group is for kids 5-8

Comment if you’d like to join!

09/08/2022

Learning with Horses is ON this weekend and weather should be much cooler, making for some fun outdoor learning 🌞

Who: kids 5-8
Where: Los Gatos Farms
When: Sundays 10-11:30am, weekly (parents stay or drop off)
What: Enrichment program in which students develop pre-academic/academic skills, life skills, social skills and more within the context of fun and engaging horse-related activities! This is a non riding program.

Reading, writing, math, art, music, science, and more. Every week is a new lesson!

Comment if you want information - we have space for you! ☺️🐎

08/15/2022

Special event end of this month - bring a friend/sibling day at Los Gatos Farms!

Learning with Horses is celebrating its very first month of this outdoor, experiential educational program by helping more people access the joy of learning next to our furry friends 🐴🐴

The last Sunday of the month, your child can bring a friend or sibling to the class for free!

The class is typically for 5-8 year olds but we’re extending the lesson plan to make it appropriate for more ages on this special day

Comment for more info! 🐎❤️

08/11/2022

Learning is more fun at the farm! Learning with Horses is an outdoor education program that uses the horse-human connection to create a fun and engaging learning environment for kids.

Each class is designed to help your child

-build confidence
-develop social-emotional skills
-gain exposure to core academic concepts

All while enjoying the company of our wonderful 4-legged teachers 🐴 🐎

Current class is for kids 5-8 years old and takes place every Sunday from 10-11:30am at Los Gatos Farms.

Comment for more information!

08/04/2022

What do we notice about these horses?

One is short and one is tall!

Yep, this Sunday at our Learning with Horses program the kids are going to be learning all about height!

How we measure horses, what units of measurement we use, counting and comparing numbers, and so much more.

Our activity addresses math standards for grades K-2, and we've incorporated supports and extension activities so we can be sure to meet each learner where they are and yet challenge them in ways that are accessible.

Can't wait!!

If you haven't already signed up, we still have room for you!

Not sure if this is a fit for your child? Send a message or comment and we'll chat.

Comment for the signup link!

07/08/2022

We've got something fun coming to the farm this August!

Horses make fantastic learning partners. Kids 5 and up are invited to join us for weekly horse-centered unit studies that will incorporate academics into hands-on learning activities at the farm!

Join the waitlist (by commenting or sending a message) in order to be notified of upcoming events and receive signup information

See you at the farm!

02/21/2022

I am an imperfect parent. Here's a little honest glimpse into my last few days...

This last week I launched my workshop, Calming the Chaos of Toddlerhood. And then, I had a weekend FULL of what I felt was total chaos!

Between business, home, myself, lack of sleep, building a tiny human inside my body, plus a newly 2-year-old toddler, I was feeling overwhelmed and much more easily triggered.

There were moments I didn't like how I responded to my son. There were moments I didn't like how I responded to my partner.
There were moments I felt like I wasn't doing my job as a role model for parents.

Then I remembered....

This is all part of the parenting process.

It's not about being a perfect parent, partner, or person 100% of the time. We are all human.

We make mistakes, then we recognize the disconnect between how we want to act and how we actually did.

We repair.

It's about not getting consumed by the parental guilt and shame that comes after responding in a way that didn't align with your values..

But instead using that to fuel productive internal dialogues with yourself about what ACTION you can take to do better in the future.

This is what it means to be a conscious parent.

To be honest, vulnerable, and open to growing yourself as a person and a parent, so you can show up at your best for your family.

Like/share if you agree.

02/19/2022

It’s finally here! No… not the baby 👶🏻 but something else I’ve been working hard to bring to you all 👇🏻👇🏻

The Premium Workshop: Calming the Chaos of Motherhood is available for ONLY 24 HOURS for a price of $49!

For a limited time you can get instant access to this 90-minute pre-recorded workshop full of strategies you can start implementing TODAY to create a calmer and more peaceful family environment - even with a toddler.

I’m bringing you strategies that will result in

Fewer tantrums
Fewer power struggles
Less intense behavior
Quicker recovery from tantrums
More cooperation
Better communication
Improved regulation (for you AND your child)

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

Comment below for the signup!

02/18/2022

Do you and your partner disagree when it comes to raising a child?

Disagreements over parenting can be the breaking point for many parent couples.

But the truth is that it’s not the disagreement itself that’s bad, it’s usually the way each parent handles the disagreement that has the potential to harm the relationship.

As a first time mom in a relationship with a first time dad…

Me with an education and extensive experience around childhood development, and him without…

And both of us having our own experiences growing up, relationships with parents, and models for how we do and don’t want to parent…

We have had a LOT to learn when it comes to using effective communication and bringing two different belief systems together to raise a family.

And we have work to do still. But it is possible!

The key is to find balance between consistency in the family and flexibility to make compromises; understanding that your children will have a different relationship with each parent, while also working to be on the same page about the most important and non-negotiable aspects of raising your child.

What’s one thing you and your partner don’t see eye to eye on when it comes to parenting? Share in the comments below 👇🏻👇🏻

02/16/2022

Co-parenting is hard. Nearly 66% of partnerships end after having a child together…

Raising a family is not always the fairytale life we are taught to believe in.

I know this to be true not only through what I’ve seen working with so many families, but also on a deeply personal level from what I’ve experienced in my own life.

Partnering with someone with a different upbringing, different beliefs, different values and interests is the real deal.

And then, you bring a child into the mix - and the pressure is really on.

I’ll be sharing more of my own story, my co-parenting struggles, successes, and goals…

And before I do, I’d like to know. What’s been the biggest challenge for YOU when it comes to co-parenting?

If you’re more comfortable sharing in my DM’s, I welcome you.

02/15/2022

“I follow all the parenting advice I read but it’s not working!”

Is this you? It’s so hard to read the parenting advice out there and feel like you’re doing it wrong or your child is abnormal because it isn’t working.

But, the reason it isn’t working is not because you’re bad at it or your child is “immune.”

It’s because (drumroll):

Behavior has different functions, and happens for different reasons, for every person. And every human has a different set of environmental and social conditions they experience PLUS their own individual personality.

Your child might be hitting to express frustration - someone else’s might be hitting to obtain attention.

Your child might be lying to avoid an undesired outcome - someone else’s might be lying because they want access to something.

All behavior is different.

This is why you can NOT take parenting advice you read as a “one size fits all” approach.

There may be overarching themes that remain true across the board, but when it comes to actual strategies to implement within your family, your plan of action must be tailored to your unique child, your family, and your environment.

If you’re currently feeling stuck because what you’re reading hasn’t been working for you, message me.

I work with parents to

✨Get clear on what factors are contributing to the behavior

🎉Develop proactive strategies to help prevent the behavior

👍🏻And establish an action plan for how to respond effectively if the behavior does occur

You don’t need to stay stuck wondering why nothing is working - let’s work together to help you end these frustrating behavioral cycles and create the peaceful family environment you deserve!

02/14/2022

28 today. 🎂

2 years ago today I had just given birth to my son and made it back home from the hospital.

This year, as our newest addition rocks and rolls in my belly, I get to imagine who this little one will be and what life will bring for our family of 4.

Birthdays are no longer about me, but about the lives I have helped to create and am now responsible for.

As I reflect, I think about how much has changed for me over the last couple of years…

I left my career of 7+ years as an educator in a behavioral setting

I became a parent

I started my business

I realized just how damn hard it is to raise a child… even with the degrees, the experience, the strategies.

What I’ve learned in the past few years is that

There is no perfect plan

There is no perfect parent

There’s no perfect child

And to do our best in parenting, in our careers, in everything, we must first do start the work to become our best selves

In the past few years I’ve experienced immense

Joy
Pain
Pride
Guilt
Loneliness
Abundance
Deep love
And so much more

There is not a moment of these 2 years I regret, even when the mistakes and low moments made me question myself.

Being a parent is hard. Learning through experience is hard. This work is HARD.

But when you find your strength, embrace the challenge, and learn to appreciate the journey, you will find peace and fulfillment.

Love to all!

02/14/2022

And, that’s exactly what we’re covering in my new workshop. TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO SIGN UP

The Premium Workshop: Calming the Chaos of Toddlerhood is a 90-Minute (pre-recorded) workshop that will teach parents simple strategies to reduce, prevent and minimize tantrums both at home and in public.

PLUS

I’m including a 60-Minute Live Group Coaching Call with me where you can ask me any questions about strategy and get specific feedback.

You'll also have LIFETIME ACCESS to the 90-min workshop and coaching call.

This training plus live coaching is $79. Once I launch, that price goes up!

And once the spaces are gone, they are gone.

If you are ready to reduce, prevent and minimize tantrums with your toddler by joining the Premium Workshop: Calming the Chaos of Toddlerhood, sign-up using the link in my bio!

Here are a few examples of what I’ll be diving into...

1. What causes most toddler tantrums

2. How to teach your toddler better ways to ask for what they need or want

3. How to teach your toddler to tolerate uncomfortable situations (e.g, hearing “no,” following directions, changes in routine)

And much much more...

Can’t wait to have you there! Link in bio!

02/12/2022

Someone once told me that experiencing the chaos of toddlers was one of the reasons they never wanted children.

Yikes.

As a toddler mom myself in addition to having worked with countless early learners, I get it - it can feel like total chaos!

UNTIL

You learn how to shift your own behavior and bring your own calmness to the chaos,

When toddler chaos is met with calm, confident parenting, the result is one or all of the following

🙌Reduced or prevented tantrums

✨Shorter or less escalated tantrums

😊Easier, faster recovery after a tantrum

❤️Improved parent-child relationship

Right now, there are limited spots available for my new workshop, Calming the Chaos of Toddlerhood…

90 minutes of pre-recorded value - PLUS a live coaching opportunity for you to bring your questions and get individualized answers!

We will be talking about what EXACTLY you can do to start bringing calm into the everyday moments of chaos in your home (and in public) so that you can minimize tantrums, increase willingness and create a more peaceful family dynamic.

✨✨✨These spots are available only until Monday!!✨✨✨

link in bio to grab your spot!!

02/11/2022

What if I told you…

That toddler tantrums, meltdowns, task refusal, arguing, power struggles could prevented, minimized or defused by changing how you behave as a parent?

That even amidst what feels like complete chaos in your home, you can feel totally in calm and in control by learning to control yourself?

That you have a choice in how you respond to your child, and you can choose to do so calmly?

It’s all true.

Learn HOW at my upcoming workshop, Calming the Chaos of Toddlerhood!

🔥90 Pre-Recorded Minutes of simple, actionable strategies to help take those moments of chaos back down from a boil to a simmer…

And even better, how to prevent them in the first place.

PLUS…

🎉A LIVE, 60-Minute group coaching session (Feb 26, time TBD) so that you can take home what you learn, try it out, and bring back your questions for individualized answers 🔥

I’m SO excited to offer this opportunity to you - and it’s only available for a limited time at this price

So claim your spot now before they’re gone!

Comment an emoji to receive the link to sign up!