photo of orange cloudy sky

Supports for Fire Season

When I consider which plants have been used historically to support healthy airways, I first think about what would be most accessible to the most people. This post has some choices that are easy to find at most grocery stores, save one local (to me) business offering that I am going to highlight.

DIY Plantain Salve for Burns, Bites, Stings & Eczema

Here is a simple DIY Plantain salve to add to your first aid kit for Burns, Bites, Stings & Eczema. This plant is so abundant you likely have some growing in your own yard!

DIY Peppermint Lip Balm

This DIY peppermint lip balm recipe took me from start to finish about 10 minutes.  It feels great and is about as clean as it comes, with only two ingredients plus optional peppermint essential oil.  

Garden Abundance: Cilantro & Parsley Pesto 🌱

If you have an abundance of cilantro and parsley in your garden, check out my easy, make-ahead, Cilantro Parsley Pesto recipe. Both of these herbs have an impressive array of health benefits. Also, ever wonder why some people love cilantro and others hate it?

DIY: Quick & Easy Hand Sanitizing Gel

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.

Little Rituals: Make Something

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?

Little Rituals: Sit Outside

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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Little Family Rituals: Create a book for reflections and dreams

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.

Kid Fun: Make a Tiny Wormery (and Maybe Save the World🌎)

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!

DIY: Whipped Shea Butter with Lavender & Vitamin E

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 […]