Results for Category: DIY
Detoxifying Face Mask: Ring in the New Year with a Fresh Face!
The new year is upon us and it has me looking at all of the ways I need to detox in my life. After a holiday season of sugary treats and candy, my face is telling me that it needs to detox from all of the holiday cheer I forced upon it. What better than…
Wintertime Herbal Infused Whipped Body Butter Recipe
‘Tis the season for cold and dry winter weather, which also is synonymous, in our world, with dry cracked hands and feet. My...
Breathe Easier With a Decongesting Herbal Steam
When I get a cold, my least favorite thing is not being able to breathe well. I even get dreams when I am congested that I am drow...
Making Sage Honey
Sage. One of my favorite culinary herbs and one of the herbs people have easy access to no matter where they are. Salvia officinalis – even the Latin name gives us an idea of the respect this Mediterranean beauty has earned. Salvia in Latin derives from the word salvere which means, “to save.” Historically, it…
Violet Leaf Soap Recipe
While violet flowers are only around for a short time in the spring, the leaves often persist well into autumn, depending on where you live. Oil infusions of these leaves are wonderful for toning and moisturizing the skin (Cech, 2000) and can be incorporated into a gentle, soothing soap, perfect for those with sensitive skin….
Warming Ginger Cayenne Salve For Natural Pain Relief
I have been going through surgeries on my spine since my first one, at 8 years old. It all started with scoliosis, and from there ...
DIY Lavender Bath Salts
Is there a person on the planet who does not wish for a long bath at the end of a stressful day or week? Unfortunately, not much...
Valerian Mint Cordial: The Perfect Herbal Nightcap
No matter how hard I try to maintain a good sleep schedule, I often find myself lying awake, staring at the ceiling long after I should be asleep. My mind is either going over tomorrow’s plans, replaying today’s conversations over and over, or fixating on some other anxiety that I just can’t let go of….
Making Herbal Vinegars
Fall is a bountiful and busy time of year. Now that I have decanted my infused oils and most of my herbal tinctures, I take to the gardens to harvest herbs and plants that will be dried for use during the winter and spring. Making herbal vinegars from flowers and culinary herbs is also something I look…
Lice Home Remedies Using Herbs
It is that time of year: the kiddos are in the full swing of school and bringing home all sorts of things for you to take care of....
Ten Homemade Herbal Teas for Cold and Flu Season
The changes in the leaves, drops in temperatures, and pumpkin pie-everything are signals to me that it’s time to prepare for...
Calendula Uses: Our 14 Favorite Recipes
There are many, many uses for calendula! Calendula is perhaps most commonly known as a first aid support for cuts and wounds. It’s also used internally as an antimicrobial to help the body resist pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Having anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, astringent, and vulnerary properties, calendula is also a good herb…
Elderberry Calendula Cold and Flu Elixir
Herbalists need to be good at multi-tasking and planning, like a juggler with three or four balls in the air. Late summer is a good example, when I am simultaneously picking the calendula flower heads daily and setting them to dry, planting another round of cilantro, wildcrafting the last of the mugwort before it goes…
An Herbal Deodorant That Works… Finally!
I think I’m one of those people who’ve tried every natural deodorant recipe they could find only to be utterly disappo...
Promote Healthy Gut Flora With A Prebiotic Herbal Electuary
As a health conscious person, you are likely aware of the fact that digestive health is directly linked to overall health. This me...
Meet the Mint Family (+ Mint Sun Tea Recipe!)
I walk in my gardens on a July evening, admiring the lush green that abounds in midsummer. The bee balm is chest high and near blooming, the lavender, catnip, and oregano are in full flower; the sage, rosemary, thyme, and basil are growing tender new leaves almost daily; and the peppermint and lemon balm are…
A Summer Bitters Recipe with Dandelion, Gentian, and Licorice Root
It goes without saying that most people prefer a sweet or salty flavor over a bitter one these days, but did you know that bitter foods are foundational parts of traditional diets due to their action on digestion? It’s true! Bitter plants were incorporated into the beginning of almost all meals as a way to…
Lavender-Infused Oil and Sugar Scrub Recipes
Summer has always been my favorite season. I just love the warmth of the sun, the gardens that come alive, the meadows that fill ...
3 Ways To Prevent A Sunburn Naturally + A DIY Sunburn Relief Spray
Sunburns are such a bummer, but if you’re like me and you enjoy being outside when the weather is nice, getting a sunburn is...
How To Make A Homemade Sugar Scrub with Calendula
Over the last 8-10 years, I’ve become more focused on living a healthier lifestyle and raising my kids with that mindset as well. Because of this decision, I’ve had to change a lot of things in my life–things that most people may see as harmless, but I can see that they do more harm than…
Herbal Burn Salve Recipe with Comfrey, Calendula, and More
This past month, my four-year-old landed a second-degree burn on his leg, thanks to a cup of accidentally spilled hot cocoa. Thankfully, I had an herbal burn salve in our medicine cabinet that was a perfect remedy for this painful situation. The Story Now isn’t that just the way things tend to happen? Kids always…
DIY Sweet Oranges & Rose Perfume
For Mother’s day this year, I wanted to make my mother something extra special that I knew she would adore. It wasn’t ...
Homemade Calamine Lotion for Quick Itch Relief
I had been longing for spring to come. Daily hikes through the nature preserve, with our family dog and my four-year-old son, were...
5 Herbs for Healthy Hair
With summer just around the corner, our skin is not the only thing needing some revitalization after a long winter. Our hair, the protector of our scalp, can take a hefty beating from the cold harsh winter weather, but fortunately there are many herbs that can help us manage our hair and give it a…
How To Make Herbal Glycerites: Tinctures Without Alcohol
Glycerites are sweet herbal tinctures which use vegetable glycerin to extract the active constituents and flavor from an herb. Herbal tinctures are typically made from alcohol, but glycerin is a good alternative for children, animals, and adults when palatability and alcohol sensitivities are primary considerations. While not as potent as alcohol-based tinctures, glycerites are still…
Herbal Remedies for Headaches
Headaches, especially migraines, are no joke. They can strike out of nowhere, rendering a functioning person into a weak, whimperi...
Dandelion Root Oxymel Recipe
Dandelion can do all sorts of dandy things. This winter has seemed to hang on for dear life, despite the fact that we are now offi...
Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner (9 DIY Natural Cleaners)
Spring cleaning is finally upon us. Now is the time that we’ll purge our garages of unwanted junk, finally throw out that old lawn chair set we forgot to return to the basement for the winter, and, of course, clean every surface in our house that we can find. But what are usually our choices…
Vintage Valentine DIY And Morning Latte
A snow day is a wonderful opportunity to relax and enjoy life’s simple pleasures. Delight in a morning latte while creating something handmade, like vintage valentine cards for your loved ones, as the snow whirls just outside your window. Vintage Valentine Cards Snow days are also a great time to tap into your creativity….
How To Make A Tincture
An herbal tincture is a long lasting and effective form of receiving an herb’s gift. It has a much longer shelf life than an inf...
