Making natural living easy.
This post may include affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I’ll earn a small fee at no extra cost to you.It’s August already…where has the summer gone? If you’re in the middle of canning up your garden’s bounty, you might not be thinking about what you can plant this month. Good news! There are lots of vegetables you can plant in August. Even though it’s hot outside, there are
Hooray! You have an essential oil diffuser…now what do you do with it? Here are 10 essential oil diffuser recipes that your whole family will love. We quit using scented candles and air freshener sprays when the kids were little. At the time, I just didn’t want them spilling hot wax or spraying chemicals in their eyes. Now I know that essential oils are much safer than air freshener sprays,
How do you find the best essential oil diffuser? And why should you use an essential oil diffuser instead of air freshener sprays or scented candles? Everybody loves a clean-smelling home, and most of us grew up using aerosol sprays, gels, or plug-ins to make sure everything smells fresh. What we didn’t know then (but are learning now) is that many air fresheners use carcinogens, chemicals that can aggravate asthma,
Making a menu plan or meal plan is a weekly chore that most of us dread. You have to look at the sales, decide what to make, think about what your family likes to eat, what you have time to prepare…yuck. Believe it or not, you can make a menu plan for an entire month in 10 minutes! It is SO much easier to menu plan a month at a
“Endless basil?” you say. “Endless? You mean I can grow all the basil I need from one plant? You keep saying this ‘endless’ word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” On the contrary, my friend. You really can grow an endless supply of basil from just one plant! In fact, that single plant could supply you with enough basil for all of your homemade pesto,
Looking for the best hummingbird feeder? Here’s my review of several popular hummingbird feeders, and what to look for when buying a feeder. Installing a hummingbird feeder right outside my office window has made it really hard to get any work done! I find myself looking out the window every few minutes to see who’s eating at my front yard feeder. There are lots of different types of hummingbird feeders
What do you think of when I say “bulk food?” Do you picture giant tubs of mayonnaise, a 25-pound bag of peas, or 50 gallons of cheese doodles? While those things do exist, they really aren’t practical for most of us. Just thinking about all those cheese doodles makes my stomach hurt. Buying food in bulk doesn’t have to be a waste of money and space in your house. It
Your taste buds will flip over this easy, homemade cinnamon bread. It’s amazing toasted with butter or made into a PB&J. Raisins and walnuts optional! Let me explain up front why I needed to make homemade cinnamon bread: I don’t like raisins. Maybe it’s a texture thing; I don’t really mind their flavor. But they certainly don’t belong in my bagels, my oatmeal cookies, or in my bread. I sure
Ditch the chemicals and make your own foaming hand soap with just 3 ingredients. This gentle, natural soap is moisturizing and cleans thoroughly without artificial ingredients. Add any scent you like with essential oils! Who has walked down the hand soap aisle at Target and been amazed at all the varieties of soap you can buy? I saw Fig & Rhubarb foaming hand soap the other day…wow. When you buy
Yum! These hearty baked Italian meatballs are easy to make, and freeze well for quick dinners. Add them to soups, spaghetti, mac-and-cheese, and more. Plus a special tip so you don’t have to touch the raw meat with your hands! Spring is a busy time of year for our family. School, gardening, music, and sports take up a lot of our time. I like to make a huge batch of
Did you know that you need special soil for starting seeds? While you might think you could just scoop up some dirt from your garden to start your seeds, that’s not a good idea. Why? Because your garden soil could have fungus! Microbes! Seeds! Pathogens! Bugs! And the seeds you are planting are tender little babies who need TLC. It’s easy to make your own seed starting mix to help
It’s easy to get rid of aphids without using dangerous chemicals that might hurt your plants, pets, or kids. Here are the 8 best natural ways to get rid of aphids. Imagine, if you will: it’s a beautiful summer day, and you mosey out to the garden after work. It looks wonderful from afar–watermelon, zucchini, tomatoes–everything is growing well and you’re looking forward to a great harvest. Then you get
