hey Reader! It took me years to realize that my physical space deeply impacted my mood and overall well-being. And as an introvert and homebody, I love being at home. But I didn't realize that when I was at home, I felt like something wasn't right. There was too much clutter, it didn't flow functionally, and it didn't feel like a sanctuary. Not only that, but I never felt like having people over because I was embarrassed by how small it was, how much clutter we had, and that it didn't have a...
10 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader! I'm on vacation this week, enjoying the dry heat of eastern Washington, lazy days paddle boarding, and drinking Okanogan wine. It's been fun to get away from my regular routine and embrace (mostly) true relaxation. It's been easier to relax knowing that I prepared a natural travel first aid kit to help keep my family healthy. I thought I'd give you a sneak peek at what's inside my travel first aid kit (and I'll be writing a more in-depth post on my blog in the coming weeks as...
10 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader! I'm giving a workshop next week on using natural remedies to care for your family in 3 easy steps, and I'm having a blast putting my talk together. (I'll be speaking inside the Mentor Mom Academy and you can join me for just $27 plus get all kinds of parenting support from my friend, Jill) One stat that I came across that was absolutely mind-blowing was this: Did you know it’s considered normal for kids to get 8-12 colds, 2-3 episodes of vomiting/diarrhea, and up to 12 fevers......
11 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader I used to think that doing two things at a time was better than doing one thing at a time. Or, even better, doing three things at a time. Like if I could do the elliptical, while listening to an herb podcast, while watching my kid play in the cul-de-sac, that was the pinnacle of success. The sad truth though, is that doing more things at once made me lose focus and do none of them well. Like when my daughter fell on her roller blades while I was on the elliptical and I forgot I was...
12 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, “psst….mom. My ear hurts.” My 13-year-old daughter whispers in the middle of church. I give her my best mom glare and whisper-shout, “What?!” I'm thinking, really, kid, this is the time you pick to tell me, and how bad could it possibly hurt all of a sudden?! Upon looking at her earlobe, I discovered that she had a pus-filled cesspool-looking bump behind her earlobe. pus-filled bump behind earlobe- gross but so fun to see pop (I know, I'm a weirdo) It immediately screamed...
12 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader! If you’re anything like me, you love free stuff. I’m such a sucker when it comes to free things (regardless of whether I need them or not). I’m an active member in my local BuyNothing community and often can be found receiving and giving things for free. It mostly results in some cool finds. Like the time I got a 12ft pool + pump for free which was coincidentally the summer that we hit almost 110 degrees in the Pacific Northwest! And other times, it has bitten me in the behind. 🍑...
about 1 year ago • 1 min read
hey Reader! The days are getting longer, and my garden is coming alive. I love welcoming my plant friends back after a bare winter when I see them sprouting up. Let’s get a few things out of the way. Because I’m a professional herbalist, you may be thinking that: I’m a master gardener (I’m not). I have an immaculate garden (I definitely don’t). I live on a large property (nope, it’s just under 6,000 sq ft). I think it would be more accurate to say that I’m a laissez-faire, trial-and-error...
about 1 year ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader, My 13-year-old daughter is learning linear equations, slope, translations, and all kinds of other stuff that makes me go: Seriously Reader, I thought I was smart until I started trying to tutor her. 🤣 And, watching her go through the tutorials, I've noticed that there’s a major difference between reading something (consuming information) and actually knowing how to apply it in real life. It got me thinking; that’s kinda like how it was when I first started out learning how to use...
about 1 year ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, I thought I’d share a few real-life examples or use cases of how I used herbs and essential oils throughout my week. When you’re starting out, you don’t know what you don’t know, and my mission is to open up possibilities for using herbs and oils to confidently take care of yourself and your family. It’s actually one of my favorite parts of my job; teaching and showing people how applicable using herbs and oils can be. Seriously, sometimes it feels like I’m making magic 🪄 There...
about 1 year ago • 2 min read