Herbal Headache Relief Shower Bombs

Need quick headache relief? Call yourself a headache-prone person?Had too much caffeine?Or too much screen time? No matter how you’ve spent the day a headache can strike at anytime! And when it does our day can quickly turn into an aby...

DIY Natural Stain Remover

DIY Pumpkin Spice Body Lotion

You know those annoying pumpkin spice fanatics who come out of the wood work every October? Yes, I’m one of those. While I won’t be getting any pumpkin spice lattes from that mainstream coffee shop that shall not be named, I WILL be...

How to Store Herbs for Potency and Longevity

Herbs are some of the easiest things to preserve. Seriously! Listen…if you want to get the most flavor out of your herbs, both from your garden OR if you bought them, there are a few simple steps you need to follow for maximum potency ...

5 Ways to Have a From Scratch Laundry Room

This post might seem intimidating or even not worth while for some of you, but let me assure you, having a from scratch laundry room is not that hard and definitely has it’s benefits! Fact: The very first steps I took in the natural-fro...

Easy Fermented Pickles

So, what’s the Big Deal with Fermentation? I’m sure at this point in your life you’ve heard of fermentation, like these easy fermented pickles. It’s all the rage in the “health” food world *real* food world. The funny thing i...

Hiccups Cure – Tried & True (secret ingredient) Remedy!

Hiccups are the worst! I’m sure that you’ve come across many manners of home remedies for hiccups cures. Here are a few that I’ve come across: Sipping water, holding your breath, getting scared or surprised, pulling on your tongue,...

9 Herbs That Benefit Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is such a natural thing. You have a baby and instantly your body starts gears in motion to help you feed your little one. Unfortunately, it’s not always flawless. Sometimes breastfeeding is difficult. Sometimes you have to...

How To Organize Garden Seeds

I have a love/hate relationship with my gardening process. I love having a garden, but I hate to store all of my supplies. In years past, that meant I had a severe garden organization problem…which means there was no organization! I wo...

Learn How (and why) To Prune Herbs

  How often do you get a haircut? Every six weeks or so? How does it make your hair feel? Pretty good, huh? Like your hair cut, plants benefit from a trim every now and then, too—especially herbs. But, how do you prune herbs? Keep read...

DIY Poison Ivy Lotion Recipe

Before I had kids I loved to go on weekend long kayaking trips. One downside to spending so much time on the water though, is that poison ivy likes to lurk at the water’s edge. Needless to say I’ve gotten pretty good at both recogniz...

How To Eat Real Food When You Travel

Going on trips with the family is always an incredible adventure. Traveling presents the opportunity for experiencing new surroundings, spending time together bonding, and forming lifelong family memories together. The downside to being ...

Plan a #FromScratch Birthday Party

Pop quiz time: It’s your child’s birthday. You’re planning a party. Do you: Panic, scream, and then hide Spend hours meticulously planning every detail and cross-referencing your plans with your Pinterest posts Jump on a plane to s...

Soothing DIY Glycerin Soap

Homemade soap is truly a marvelous and wonderful thing. It also requires the use of lye in many cases and well that’s not always something we all want to tackle and is certainly not a project for young children to take on. We can, howeve...

Ways To Take Care Of Yourself During That Time Of The Month

That Time of Month, Aunt Flo, your period, Shark Week (does anyone actually use that one?)… We all know what it means and we all hate it. Let’s face it ladies, our menstrual cycle is no joke! Don’t get me wrong, it’s an amazing part of o...

DIY Toilet Bowl Cleaner (non-toxic & it WORKS!)

Creating your own natural cleaners can be fun, and they’re certainly healthier than their toxic counterparts. You can make your own simple and effective non-toxic cleaner for one of the dirtiest places in the house with this DIY toilet...

Grow A Skin Healing Flower Garden

Spring is here and many of us are turning our thoughts to gardens full of beautiful flowers, delicious fruits, and tasty vegetables. In all that planning, designing, and planting don’t forget to include flowers that are not only beautifu...

Learn How And Why To Buy Food In Bulk

When I moved into my first apartment I was abnormally excited about grocery shopping for myself. It seemed so…adult. But, despite the excitement, there were still parts of grocery shopping that required a little more knowledge – and co...

7 Ways To Allergen Proof Your Home

There was once a time when I didn’t even think about allergens in my home. Of course, spring would come and I’d deal with seasonal allergies, but that all had to do with the great outdoors so I didn’t think about inside my home. Then I h...

What Are Herbal Liniments (and a soothing muscle liniment recipe)

What are Herbal Liniments? Unlike a tea made with water or an extract that’s a concentrated, alcohol-based preparation designed for internal use, a liniment is a topical preparation of herbs that soothe and comfort the skin or muscles...

Start-Up Guide For The Home Herbalist

If you enjoy cultivating a from-scratch lifestyle and have an interest in natural health, learning to work with herbs to support your family’s well being can be a rewarding skill. You might even have most of the tools you need to get s...

Edible Massage Lotion

This Valentine’s Day, anniversary, or any day consider treating your partner to an extra special massage that includes some DIY edible massage lotion. It is the month of Valentine’s Day and whether you’re going away with your partner or ...

Red Raspberry Leaf: Why it’s for ALL women (plus, a smoothie recipe!)

I grew up through my childhood and early adult life thinking herbs were something you cooked with and that was all. I had no clue when I was younger that herbs could have a huge impact on my health. In fact, it wasn’t until I was preg...

How To Cook A Whole Chicken FAST!

One of my intentions for 2016 is to try to really focus on having almost everything that I consume be grown locally. My husband is on board as well (after we drafted up a list of list of a few nonnegotiable items like coffee. And, chocol...

How To Use Lemon Balm (for body, home, and food)

Herbs are an amazing natural resource. They have a multitude of uses: they season our food, heal our illnesses, beautify our bodies, and clean our homes. Some herbs even do all of those in one lovely plant. Lemon Balm is one of these mul...

DIY Moisturizing Facial Scrub

Day and night, every day of the year, our skin takes a beating. We pull, tug, stretch. It deals with the cold, the heat, the rain, and the sweat. We pile on the cosmetics and lotions and creams (hopefully the all-natural ones), wash it a...

Rose-Infused Lip Scrub (recipe + new book!)

Every winter, no matter how much herbal tea I down, I always end up with dry lips. Sometimes, a good lip balm just isn’t enough and you need some exfoliation to get the job done. This DIY rose-infused lip scrub with its comfrey and ros...

DIY Herbal Bath Teas (recipes for stress relief!)

There comes a time in everyone’s life that stress invades and the search for some relief begins. There are, of course, numerous ways to bust stress – exercise, healthy food, time with friends, herbal medicine, and much more. A simple way...

Homemade Playdough (customize with natural colors and scents!)

What kid didn’t play with playdough growing up? I remember opening up a brand new tub of playdough and squishing it, rolling it, and molding it for hours on end. Growing up, I never thought about the ingredients that are used to make sto...

Whole Wheat Gingerbread Pancakes

Happy December everyone! While I love the fall and pumpkin everything — pumpkin crepes! pumpkin pancakes! pumpkin muffins! — I’m ready to say hello to the flavors of the holiday season. For me, the holidays mean eggnog and gingerbread a...

DIY Holiday Potpourri (for your home and give as gifts!)

There is no other time of year with such a distinct scent as the Holidays. It is a sweet, Earthy, and a bit spiced scent that can transport you years back, while still exciting you for the joy of Holiday seasons to come. ‘Holiday’ is a s...

Thyme Infused Honey (and how to use it!)

As a mother, there is nothing worse than having a sick kid. You want to make them feel better, but there is only so much that you can do. When that sick child has a cough, you feel even worse. If you are like me, coughing is one of your ...

Top 10 Organic Essential Oils for Cleaning

We just got finished with a renovation of the tub surround and plywood walls beneath the shower walls. Like any small project, it turned into a BIG project with many hours spent at the home store, driving back and forth, things not fitt...

Packing a Healthy Bento Box School Lunch

We’re only a few weeks into the new school and year I’m already tired of packing the same old things for my daughter’s lunch every day. She’d buy lunch from her school’s cafeteria every day if I let her, but for now we save that as a spe...

Health Benefits Of The Egg White *AND* The Egg Yolk

Do you say no to eating eggs because of their calorie count? Are you scared that the high cholesterol content in eggs will staggeringly increase the cholesterol level in your blood? Pause for a minute, and think. How do you know that th...

DIY Flea And Tick Repellent: A Powder Recipe For Dogs (Organic, Natural, Non-Toxic, Effective)

Hey friend, it’s Jess…the original Scratch Mommy. I am SO excited to share this DIY recipe with you today. I’m sure many of you are dog lovers and have been searching for the best and most effective non-toxic DIY flea and tick repellen...

Why Brands Should Support Mandatory Labeling

We’ve been talking about GMO labeling a lot lately and it might seem confusing that we’re specifically asking Quaker for support around this issue. “There are no GMO oats…” is the response many people have. I want to shed some light on w...

Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs {Book Review}

As an herbalist, I absolutely adore reading all about herbal medicine and plants. And as a bookworm, I love whenever I can get my hands on an honest to goodness, crisp pages, colorful pictures, real life herb book. That’s why I was so ex...

The 9 Best Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar

You know when you eat something really sour and you get that tingling feeling in the back of your throat? I love that feeling. As a kid I was on a perpetual hunt for the most sour candy around and I would eat Emergen-C powder dry by the ...

Happy Father’s Day – Tribute to the Scratch Daddy Behind the Scenes

My parents recently moved to a new home and, like with any move, there are a few projects on their “To Do” list. A couple updates to the kitchen, improvements to the roof, changing the the deck to a patio for ease in maintenance… But eve...

Will Quaker Oats Conceal or Reveal GMOs?

Hi, Jess here. I have some important information to share with you about something that affects all of us. It affects you. It affects your children. It affects our environment. In fact, there isn’t much that the topic of this post does ...

Keeping A Simple Real Food Kitchen

For me, April showers don’t just bring May flowers, they also bring weddings. I am twenty seven and just in that part of life when all my friends are getting married. In the last few years, I have spent a good amount of time studying reg...

Why is Grass-fed Meat Better?

Until a few years ago, I had never even heard of the term “grass-fed.” Still early on in my real food journey and #LifeFromScratch, I was more than happy to pick up a pound of ground beef from the grocery store for the low low price of $...

DIY Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

In many cultures around the world the egg is a symbol of new life, which is why eggs are traditionally associated with Easter. The biblical connection makes sense, but it also makes sense as an owner of backyard chickens. After the long...

DIY Herbal Baby Oil

Nothing can compare to that exhilarating feeling of holding a fresh faced, silken skinned newborn. I know that I didn’t think twice when the hospital staff bathed my baby in Johnson’s baby wash and shampoo, finished off with lotion and b...

15 Herbs for Headaches

I don’t think I will ever forget the moment I began my natural living journey: I had just had a bad reaction to yet another prescription drug for my constant headaches and, in extreme desperation, I looked up “natural remedies for headac...

Skincare During Cancer Treatments

        People diagnosed with cancer have so many things on their minds after the diagnosis…how will I take care of my family, how will this affect my job, will I be okay, etc...that they often overlook their skincare needs. Although it ...

Debunking Egg Labels… What it all REALLY means

Because of an unfortunate incident with coyotes around the New Year, I currently don’t have backyard hens. It was super sad because I loved my ladies and their fabulous eggs. Those five little birds had made our backyard a home for the l...

Special Holiday Greetings from the Scratch Mommy Team

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Peace. Joy. Love. The Scratch Mommy team wanted to let you know how much they love and appreciate all of our readers, so we made Christmas messages for you. Seasons Greetings from Jessica, The Original S...

How Country Music Makes me a Better Mama

I’m completely aware of the irony: music that esteems pretty girls, getting drunk, and getting drunk to forget pretty girls is supposed to make me wiser, more empathetic, and a guide to growing souls? Perhaps you think, instead, that I...

10 Tips For How To Have a Modern Hippie Holidays

What is a Modern Hippie? Well, a Modern Hippie is me, and most likely you too if you’re on this blog. A Modern Hippie wears homemade deodorant, can explain why bone broth is a super food, and is conscious of the environment and sustainab...

Create Lasting Memories with a Year End Questionnaire (Free Printable!)

As the year 2014 draws to a close I start to reminisce about the past year. All the things we have done with the kids, all the funny things that were said, the milestones that were reached, the surprises we encountered, the ups and downs...

Non-Toy Gifts For Your Loved Ones

This Christmas our family is adopting the idea of buying less and giving more, an Advent conspiracy if you will. We are choosing to purchase intentionally, boycotting big box retailers, and supporting small businesses. Part of my goal fo...

4 Tips for Preparing Your Homestead For Winter

Depending on where you live, preparing your homestead for winter can be as easy as packing away the lawn chairs and digging out the socks or as involved as being ready to shelter yourself and your animals in place if a blizzard cuts you ...

The Perfect Crunchy Stocking Stuffer for Moms

I love filling stockings for loved ones, yet each year I find it more difficult to find the right thing for the right person. Being original and tailoring stockings to items that embrace one’s personality is my goal. For me, a Christmas ...

8 Gifts for the Gardener in Your Life

December is upon us and that means the Holidays are literally just around the corner. I would love to spend this time of year sipping hot chocolate by my tree, but instead I often find myself at the mall or staring at my computer on xyz....

DIY New Year Countdown Calendar and DIY Christmas Advent Calendar Tutorials

Let the countdown begin… Ah, the excitement and beauty of the Holidays! Every day more and more decorations go up. There are beautifully sparkling lights on the houses, both inside and out. And the look of wonder and amazement in our chi...

A Heart of Gratitude

When you think of Thanksgiving, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Maybe you get a warm fuzzy image of your loved ones surrounding you in your home. Perhaps you envision turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie! Or maybe you begin ...

The Gratitude Tree

Thanksgiving always seems to get the short end of the stick. For one thing, it’s stuck between Halloween and Christmas. Other than Thanksgiving break from school, kids tend to think the holiday is pretty lame. When you think about it, wh...

Creating a Permaculture Home

I first learned about permaculture about 10 years ago when I made a trip out to Bohdi Creek Farm, a Permaculture site in Washington State, near the North Cascades. Our friends Alan and Tricia introduced my husband Andrew and I to this wa...

Unplugged

I never thought it would take a power outage in order to get my son off the computer but that’s what happened. I need to be honest here. My 10 year old son is a lover of all things electronic. Whether it be reformatting my phone, playing...

Tutorial- Turn Junk Mail Into Beautiful DIY Handmade Paper

Scratch Mommy… taking junk mail to a WHOLE new level! Handmade paper– we’ve all admired it, thought how pretty it was and thought “I could probably do that.” Thinking and doing are two different things. Making your own handmade paper pu...

5 Tips for Staying Safe When Buying Animals Online

Whether you are just starting up your first homestead or you have lived this lifestyle your whole life, sooner or later you will want to buy or sell some animals. You will likely find that in the information age, the best place to find ...

Setting Your Home up For Montessori

I’m a huge fan of the Montessori Method. I have a history with it that goes back to my own days of attending a Montessori preschool. My husband went to the same one as I – he was in the morning class, I was in the afternoon. One of m...

The Healthy (holistic!) Dog Food for Your Furry Loved Ones

This is Bubbles. She’s our 8 year old shihtzu who doesn’t seem to be able to catch a break. Chronic dry eye… Yep, she’s got it. Chronic ear infections… Yep, she’s got those too and they make her always smell like a corn chip...

How to Oven Dry Fresh Herbs

Whether you’re growing herbs outdoors in your garden or indoors in containers, there may come a wonderful time when you have an overabundance of them! There are many ways you can preserve your fresh herbs at home — one of them being dr...

Giving Kids Their Own Space Notebooks

Do you have boxes and boxes of every scrap of paper your child has ever drawn on? Do your kids get upset when you accidentally write your grocery list on a random piece of paper that you thought was scrap, but was actually one of their d...

DIY Chore Chart

Getting your kids to do their chores on a regular basis can often be challenging. It’s a good idea to get them started at an early age when ‘helping out mom’ is still a fun thing! For toddlers, you want to choose chores that are si...

5 Tips for Balancing Homestead Life

Homesteading life can be described in many ways, but “balanced” isn’t often one of them. Finding balance, however is one of the most important things to do if you want to avoid the dreaded “homesteader burnout” that so many of us experie...

Embracing the Chaos

As we were heading in to the grocery store it was raining, and our five year old daughter was in a super cute pair of boots. It hadn’t rained in a while, and this was a good rain. The type of rain that makes a lot of puddles… the typ...

DIY Party Pumpkin Cooler

Along with the crisp Fall air and falling leaves, the month of October brings with it the celebration of Halloween with little kids in costumes and gatherings with friends. Whether you are planning a Fall or a Halloween themed party, cre...

Sweets Overload: How to Avoid a Halloween Horror Story

Halloween is just around the corner and one of my favorite times of the year! But with little ones, there is always that part of me that groans at the thought of thwarting (or at least, minimizing) one aspect of the night: sugar. Sugar i...

Capture Beautiful Memories with the OneDay App #OneDayKids

  If you’re a parent and you have an iPhone, you’re probably like me and have thousands of photos and video snippets of your kids on your camera roll. Technology is a wonderful thing because it makes it easy to capture memories that we’...

Planting Garlic: Lessons Learned

“Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; Wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; Lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy Sauce makes it Chinese; Garlic makes it good.” – Alice May Brock I have always loved this quote ab...

10 Favorite Books for Toddlers

Growing up, I loved reading. Some may have called me a ‘book worm,’ and it was an apt description. I would read anything I could get my hands on and I couldn’t stop until I got to the end. After having my own children, it was impor...

Hi, I’m Just a Mom

It’s easy to feel like being a mom is not a job or not “good enough.” For some reason, it’s also easy to feel ashamed to tell people you stay home with your child(ren) when they ask you what you do. It often seems unimportant, and just a...

Top 10 Reasons to Raise Meat Chickens

Have you ever considered raising your own meat right in your backyard? Chickens are a great place to start and are a natural transition for someone who is already raising a backyard flock. Raising meat chickens is easier than you might t...

The Clover Earth Shoe: A Perfect Mom Shoe

I have a confession to make…I am addicted to shoes. And not in a “oh that’s cute” kind of way… more like a “it’s almost a real problem” kind of way. I can’t help it. I am a woman who loves shoes. I also look at shoes as quite...

5 Tips To Get the Most from Parent-Teacher Meetings

School and what happens there can be a mystery to many. From that moment when we drop our son/daughter off at the bus stop or playground, we really do not know what happens for the next 5+ hours. Whether it be a formal conference or a ca...

Upcycled Jar Centerpiece

I am so excited for the upcoming holiday. It’s Thanksgiving! There are so many things to be thankful and grateful for not just on Thanksgiving but everyday. To make our first Thanksgiving with our son, Ryan in our new home special, I wan...

DIY Halloween Trick Or Treat Bag Sewing Project

As tough as it is to let go of summer, fall has its wonderful perks too! It’s a time to regroup before the busy holiday season starts and that always puts me into the mood for a DIY project like this DIY Halloween Trick Or Treat Bag. Cri...

Fall Garden Clean Up Checklist

As the first frost of the season looms, it is a great time for a little “fall cleaning” in your vegetable garden. Cleaning up your garden at the end of the season and preparing it for the colder winter months will help ensure the hea...

The Joys of Working from Home

“Mommy is always on the computer!” “All mommy does is go on the computer!” The knife goes right into your heart. The trouble is, I work from home. When Daddy is at work you can’t see him on the computer. When I’m at work (home), ...

How to Prepare For Your First Time Away From the Kids

There are many mothers that have never spent a night away from their children. However, eventually something will come up — whether it’s for work, family, or just a much needed getaway. It will require you to leave your kids in someone...

DIY Remembering Summer Mason Jars

Every summer my family takes a week long vacation to Mt. Desert Island, Maine. Summer is my absolute favorite season of the year, and spending time at Mount Desert Island is a highlight. It truly is a place of wonder and natural beauty. ...

Top Animals for the Homestead

As I transitioned from a suburban homesteader to a rural one, animals were one of the first things I wanted to add to our property. I was positively enamored with the idea of raising my own flocks and herds to help feed my family! Severa...

Thank God for Helpful Husbands

A few weeks ago, I woke up and was greeted with a headache. No problem. I took some medicine and continued on with my busy Sunday morning of tackling my To Do List and getting our kiddos ready for church. I looked at the clock and realiz...

Introducing Parenting Contributors – Part Two

In Part One, I introduced you to three of our amazing parenting contributors: Salma Dinani, Amanda Lopes and Jennifer Boudreau. Are you ready to meet the rest of the team? I am just bursting to introduce you to them. Please welcome Laur...

Introducing Our Homesteading Contributors

As the Editor in Chief and Editor of the homesteading section of Scratch Mommy, I am so thrilled to be creating content with such an amazing team of writers. The homesteading section will be a devoted space to talk all things self-suf...

Introducing Our Parenting Contributors – Part One

As the editor of the parenting section of ScratchMommy, I am so thrilled to be creating content with such an amazing team of writers. The parenting section will be a devoted space for discussing the challenges of parenthood, as well as ...

My Journey: Parenting with Postpartum Depression

When I first learned I was pregnant with my oldest son, the world opened up for me. I tapped into a kind of instinctual pit of motherly love that originated far deeper inside than I could have ever imagined. From the first time I thought...

Real Food on a Budget: Creating a Price Binder

Many people want to switch over to real food but get overwhelmed when things are a lot more “pricey” than their counterparts. While organic and real foods tend to be a bit more expensive, it’s important to know that buying *real* food do...

Cooking School Series: How to Read a Recipe

  As a strong, yet sort of apathetic student in school I finally found myself excited about something while taking culinary classes in Switzerland the summer I was nineteen. The program was through my university where I was studying Hosp...

Fall Gardening: What to Plant and When

  With temperatures at their highest of the summer all around the country, it’s hard to believe that it’s only just a matter of time until there is a chill in the air indicating the arrival of fall. Just because the temperatures chan...

The Benefits of Being Raised by an Alcoholic Mom

  I can still remember watching her while she would get ready to go out. She was a beautiful woman: short and heavyset with cropped and stylish light blonde hair. Her blue eyes (which I share with her) are mesmerizing, and her smile ligh...

10 Life Lessons I Learned Being Raised on a Dairy Farm

Being a farmer is not for everyone. Owning and operating a small family farm is hard work, lacks vacation and sick days and is not on the high end of the pay scale. Animals don’t care that it is Christmas or if you’re tired — they rely o...

Do Pastured Eggs Need to Be Refrigerated?

Have you ever received eggs from a farmer that were not refrigerated? Were you a little shocked? That’s a totally normal feeling because most of us have grown up with eggs only one way — refrigerated. I remember the first time I walked i...

Natural Tattoo Care

I have always loved tattoos, and I love hearing the stories behind them. I got my first tattoo 5 1/2 years ago, at the age of 17. My mom and I both got our black belts and we went in to get our first tattoos together that same day. I wan...

Five Tips For Kidney Health (& A Tasty Dandelion Smoothie Recipe)!

When my son was in the NICU, just a mere 24 hours after he was born, I heard the doctors tell me he had “acute hydronephrosis and kidney failure.” I had no idea what hydronephrosis meant, but I could assume kidney failure was tragic....

Calendula Infused & Naturally Tinted Lip Balm DIY

 I remember obsessively using and collecting lip gloss as a mature middle school student. My friends and I would swap colors, constantly pick out new selections, and we wouldn’t be caught without at least one lip gloss on our persons....

Soothing Pregnancy Tea Recipe

Ok, mammas this is one for the books. (That means you need to save this one!) I mean you had me at soothing……and it can help during labor. Now I am sold! During my first pregnancy, I kind of winged it. You know, I ate healthy here an...

A Storage Solution When Glass Simply Isn’t An Option – Ozeri INSTAVAC Green Earth!

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. Are you like me? Do you like to know what types of things help people on their journeys (real food, green-living, etc etc etc)? I always find it nice to see reviews from real food...

The ‘Shotgun’ Approach To Treating Severe Eczema

Warning: This post contains graphic photos of eczema. Not for the squeamish.  As many of you may know, I have suffered from eczema basically since birth. In the past three years it has taken over my life…literally. Like many of you who ...

Saving The World (& my health), One Toothbrush At A Time!

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. Well, that title might sound a little dramatic, but in a way…it’s true! I received two WooBamboo! toothbrushes to review. You might be thinking… Yeah, and who cares about a toothb...

Dear Kathie Lee & Hoda (but mostly Kathie Lee) – Don’t Wash YOUR Hair!

This post was written by Leslie Erin of Crunchy Betty, in response to Kathie Lee and Hoda regarding the “No Poo” post on LittleOwlCrunchyMomma’s “no poo” by Jacquelyn Byers. In support of our dear blogging friend Jacquelyn ...

‘Fix Pretty Much Anything’ Salve – A Healing DIY Salve

Hello friends! Today I am sharing a crafty concoction that is utilized quite frequently in our home and will likely be a nice addition to yours, too. Today I bring you an easy to create, very powerful ‘fix pretty much anything’ salve. “D...

The BEST Pumpkin Nut Bread Recipe EVER (seriously, it really is)

You may know that I’ve been on a journey this month with an absolutely amazing group of bloggers. There are 6 of us total and we’ve been bringing you a new treat each day this month in our ‘31 Days of Homemade Halloween‘ series. If you c...

Halloween Real Food Makeovers!

If you spend any time at all on Pinterest, no doubt you’ve seen all of the Halloween “food” ideas floating around lately. Yes, “food” is intentionally placed  in quotes, as many of these ideas are not really food…not even close. What is...

Does This Pumpkin Make You Horny? (a DIY pumpkin lotion tutorial)

That got your attention, didn’t it? Want to really turn your man on? Put away the perfume and pick up the pumpkin. Huh!??? I recently read a study indicating that pumpkins make your man…well, ummm…excited. This study showed that the odor...

The Sacred Cow: Memoirs of a Former Vegan

Do you identify with any particular style or have any type of definition or label for the way you eat? Paleo? GAPS? Vegetarian? Vegan? WAPF? Just plain old *real* food? Today I bring you a heartfelt story from a wonderful blogger and ama...

TIME (& what it means to this WAHM)

As I drove into town tonight with my laptop, ready for a cup of joe at one of my favorite local coffee shops, The Eye of the Tiger came on the radio. I found it quite fitting. Let me explain. I am having another brief evening all to myse...

Garden Battle #1

If we are Facebook friends you may have seen a couple of posts yesterday and today about some uninvited visitors to my garden. How about I just show you a few pictures. Now, let’s look at this beautiful lettuce from above (picture taken ...

DIY Bug Spray Recipe – Bye, Bye Bugs (especially mosquitoes)!

Looking for a natural DIY bug spray recipe that will not leave you soaked in toxic chemicals (…who needs that!??) AND actually works? Here is where I would usually go into my spiel about individual ingredients in products that make them ...

Why I Choose To Be A Criminal – Raw Milk

The following story is a true story. I pulled up to the dirty, rusty, old van parked all by itself in a random lot. I looked to make sure there were no 5-0 around. Things were quiet, so I approached and asked, “Are you Sam?” He smiled wa...

Earthing…You Dig!??

You’ve heard me say it a time or two before, but I’ll say it again. Yay For Spring! I love being able to get back outside with nature. I feel as though I, too, come out of my cocoon and winter hibernation state and start to feel alive ...

…but what if my breasts don’t work?

That got your attention, didn’t it? Today’s post is one that some people may not agree with, but it’s something that’s been on my mind lately. If I get it off of my chest, maybe it won’t be so heavy....

It’s A Vitamin E Quiz!

No, really…it’s quiz time!...

Calendula-Hula-Who!?? (and why YOU should know)

Well, it looks as though old Punxsutawney Phil got it wrong this year. Where I’m located, I think that we are in for a late start to spring. Bummer. On a positive note, this gives me more time to get my garden seeds started inside, seei...

Essential Oils 101

Essential oils (EO) are the third part of an effective, healthy body lotion. Although optional, I think after reading today’s post about the benefits of EO, you’ll want some special ones added to your lotions, too....