If you’re like me, you probably prefer soap and water for hand-washing, but every now and then need a hand sanitizer instead. I try to avoid using alcohol-based products because they dry my skin so much and often have ingredients with concerning health effects like triclosan, Benzalkonium Chloride and phthalates. This recipe literally took me less than 10 minutes to make. It has a pleasant cinnamon and citrus scent and nice moisturizing effects.
When I slow down enough to notice details and deliberately move through the moments of my day, there are so many opportunities to be amazed and feel gratitude.
I don’t always remember to pause and notice, but when I do, my day is better without fail: I am more grounded in my values, more conscious of the actions I choose to take, and more resilient for any obstacles I face.
This weekend, I challenge us both to take five minutes to intentionally pause for the seemingly small stuff.
When was the last time you made something for fun? Not because you had to, not because you needed to make money, not because your kid needed help with a school project, but a time when you sat down, gathered a few materials, and decided to scratch the itch of an idea?
Today’s little ritual is quite possibly my favorite of them all. I rely on it often to help me return to baseline in times of stress, anxiety or frenzy, and to promote gratitude in times of ease.
This practice invites you to find ten minutes of space in your day to do nothing. Absolutely nothing. On purpose. And to go outside while you do it. If being outdoors is not possible, then at a minimum sit by a window.
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Is there anything better than sitting around a fire on a dark, crisp winter night? Whether alone or in community, something about a campfire is universally familiar, comforting, and grounding.
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Do you have a bird feeder in your yard? Or a place for birds to get water? If not, I humbly suggest you consider getting or making one this winter. Create a sanctuary for winter birds to come and fill their tummies, and claim it as a visual reminder to clear space in your mind, and free yourself from a few moments of worry and/or thought-clutter.
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As humans, we have evolved to track and evaluate our days and lives to allow us the best vantage point to determine if we are on the right path or if we have strayed far and now need to course-correct.
In a recent post I discussed how and why making a tiny wormery with your kids could maybe save the world. To build on that thread, today I want to talk about making a larger scale worm bin to compost your family’s kitchen scraps.
Much like the character of Cook in The Tale of Desperaux, I believe compassion and soup are the answers to most of life’s questions.
Lately each day, when I’m feeling chilled or sense the hint of sickness coming on, I find myself making warm honey, lemon and cayenne “tea”. I have always sworn this concoction can nip a fuzzy headed, drippy sore-throat feeling in the bud before it ever settles in, but I’ve never really known why it always seemed to work. This week I took time to explore that curiosity.
The holidays are a fantastic time to create ritual that invites us to pause and reflect on the year behind us and consider what we want most for our days ahead. Not only does taking time to do this allow a way to integrate lessons learned both collectively and individually, it also provides a place to share these things when we might otherwise keep them stored inside. What’s more, looking back on the ways a family has grown, or the ways dreams were realized (or turned into something completely different) after many years is the way this simple and quick ritual can turn into something priceless that can be enjoyed perhaps even by generations who will follow.
As follow up to my recent post on the importance of helping the Earth maintain and replace healthy topsoil, here’s a simple activity to help you have this conversation with your kids: Make a Tiny Wormery!
We’re talking dirt this weekend. More specifically, the process of composting and how you can get started in your own backyard to help preserve one of our planet’s most valuable resources: healthy soil.
Now why on earth would you make a homemade olive oil lamp, you ask? Because it is a surprisingly delightful and easy project that adds beauty and excitement to an otherwise uneventful day. At least that was my reason.
I’m sharing a simple recipe today for a DIY tea tree oil household spray that I’ve been using the past week or so. It inhibits the growth of mildew and molds, so if you’re interested in learning simple ways to use fewer chemicals and still have good cleaning results, read on.
The most magical season for our yardstead is spring! Now that everything is in full bloom in Texas, and before the chiggers and mosquitos realize how nice and warm it’s getting, it’s time to get out in the yarden and plant all of those yummy veggies and fruits for harvesting this summer. What do you have growing or planned for your yarden this year?
Have you ever been curious about how the soap you lather up with each day is made?
Easy fig preserves for a delicious summer treat.
This is a love letter💌, inspired by a woman’s memories of our neighborhood land and creek, from her childhood days in the early 1900s. This post may only resonate with a few, but for the few it does, I hope it inspires you to write your own love letters about the natural areas you call home. When we love nature, and when we allows others to witness that love, the Earth sings and saves wisps of our souls in its rocks and streams for future generations. It is needed today more than ever. 💗🌿🐇🦉🐛🐠🦎💗
I tend to have really dry hands due to spending all my waking hours with kids – which always includes a lot of hand washing, messy projects, clean up and food prep. At times, particularly in winter and also when I attend hand drumming classes consistently, my hands can even develop painful cracks. Store-bought lotions typically […]
