There is no better time than the middle of the summer to discuss the importance of good hydration! I have been eagerly awaiting this post, as I knew that it would be an excellent reminder to myself of how and why to keep my hydration levels optimal. Guest poster Alison of Pennythoughts (soon to be …
Heads up on dehydration
I think I realized why I've been so tired lately and why my eyes have been red, swollen and bitterly complaining every time I try to wear my contacts. My MIL stayed out our house last night, and I think she solved the puzzle for me. Apparently, eyes can be one of the first things …
Getting back on track
For those who have read of my struggle with eating well these days, you may also remember that I mentioned doing a bit of a cleanse/sugar fast with my family when our students leave. Well, they're leaving next Monday, so it's time to start gearing up to do just that!Why are we doing this? For …
Why the HPV vaccine is just a bad idea
Though I haven't talked about it a whole lot (yet), I'm not really a fan of vaccinations. Tonight I read something that I just felt I needed to pass on. Sometimes I try to be all nicey-nice and not just say what I really think, but here's what I was thinking tonight as I was …
Old habits die hard
There's a lot of food in my house right now that is normally vetoed. Food like sugar cereals, ice tea powder, regular sandwich meats, white flour and sugar, cookies made of the white flour and sugar, and on and on it goes… Having guests who eat these foods, such as our current homestay students, brings …
“Greening” your kitchen (the frugal way!)
I’ve been anticipating this post from fellow blogger Michele, of Frugal Granola, on ways to eliminate disposables with simple and homemade options. I appreciate her perspective on simple living (check out her series), and I think that her resourcefulness is a wonderful example. Read on for some of her great ideas (I love the sandwich …
Stewardship not Convenience
This is the first guest post of several that will be posted over the next few weeks, from Beth of Stewardship not Convenience. Beth and I connected shortly after she first began her blog, and I immediately knew that I wanted to keep up with her blog, as the topics she wrote about, and her perspective …
Succession planting my way to a continuous harvest
If I start something (and especially if I get really passionate about it) you can expect that I will get quite ambitious with it, regardless of my know-how! Gardening is a perfect example of this. I may be a novice (it’s only my second year), but I am determined not to let a single square …
A Lament for my Raw Milk
Written with a whole lot of help from my creative hubby, and much, much laughter (oh, the naughty things we joked about saying!) (A poet I’m not, but I just sort of thought that a poem might be the way, to share of my woes and wiggle my nose with disgust at this immoral fray.) …
Baby Steps: Shoo fly (and mosquitos and fleas…)
A little bit late, but Baby Steps are back this week nonetheless! 🙂 This week's Baby Step is: It's summer and the bugs are out in full force, so your Baby Step for the week is to find some alternative methods for dealing with the bugs this summer, rather than resorting to conventional insect repellents. …
How my garden grows…
First off, happy 4th of July to all the Americans out there! Those of us who are Canadian actually celebrated Canada Day on Tuesday, July 1st, though it is not quite the massive celebration here that I’m sure you are all partaking of down there today! It’s been a while since I showed any garden …
Gas prices too high? Try water!
I don’t know what you’re paying for gas right now, but yesterday I saw gas at a whopping $1.52 a litre! (For the Americans, that’s $6.02 a gallon. Read it and weep.) Which brings me to a fascinating thing that my husband and I learned about last night. Did you know that the technology has …
First harvest of the season
Mmm… the first salad of the season, made with a lettuce blend from my backyard! I'm using a nice heirloom lettuce blend, as well as a romaine called Olga and some oriental greens called Mizuna. Is there anything more satisfying than eating what you've grown? (Okay, the answer is yes, but it sure does rank …
Grow, little garden, grow!
Did you know that you have some incredible garden fertilizers, right in your very own kitchen? As I am trying to keep my garden costs low, I have been so blessed this year to discover a few very simple, yet very effective ways to boost my garden! It all started on a short date with …
Baby Steps: Get growing!
This week’s baby step is: Very simple. It is to grow something edible, anything at all, this summer. And eat it! Why this step is important: I think there is something crucial about connecting with the seasons and the way that food grows. Though I find it difficult to express in words, there is something …
Edible communities
I stumbled upon a rather serendipitous find last weekend, while visiting with my sister-in-law. I suppose I made for a rather rude house guest, as I temporarily lost myself in this intriguing read, a magazine all about local food in Vancouver! The magazine not only had some interesting articles on local food, composting, sustainability (though …
The summer that wasn’t
Gray, cloudy days. No hint of sunshine or blue sky. 11 degrees (52 F). Sigh… so much for summer weather! I suppose I'm being a little bit pessimistic. It's only June 14, and summer technically doesn't begin for another 7 days, but it is usually lovely out by this time of year. I remember last …
What’s next, lead in baby receiving blankets?
Can you believe this? A pair of pajamas has just been recalled due to a violation of lead standards in the screen print on the shirt!!! It's appalling! This is the offending pair of pj's, made by Children's Place: Honestly, sometimes I just don't know what I can do to protect my kids. I can't …
Baby Steps: Going More Natural, One Cleaner at a Time
Just a reminder– If you haven’t done it yet, make sure that you visit last week’s recipe carnival to find some inspiration for completing the last Baby Step! So far in this Baby Steps series, we’ve talked a bit about toiletries (toothpaste), food preparation (using dry beans), and cooking nutritious food (making a list of …
Baby Steps: Going More Natural, One Cleaner at a TimeRead More
Q & A- Eating healthy in social situations
How do you handle eating nutritiously at parties, both ones you host and those where you're a guest? We frequently host/attend get-togethers, and I find that I eat way too many high carb or junky foods. Carrie A couple weeks ago, this awesome question landed in my inbox. I've been wanting to answer it ever …
Now this is something that I have definitely never thought of using cloth for!
I stumbled upon this creative thrifty odd interesting idea today, and thought I would pass it on to you all! Have any of you ever heard of this idea of Family Cloth? Have you tried it? (If you have, wow, you are a brave soul, you have my most sincere admiration!) Do tell!
Now this is something that I have definitely never thought of using cloth for!Read More
My Thoughts on Sunscreen
; My question is, do you know of or have an organic/natural sunscreen for babies? With the weather warming up here in Tennessee, I would really like to find a sunscreen for my almost 1 year old that doesn’t have all those chemicals in it. Thought maybe you would have some ideas! Liz This is …
Tips for eating locally
I read this post by Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking today, and thought it was such perfect timing considering the recent discussion on purchasing organics and the local vs. import debate. She mentioned going to the Farmer’s Market (I guess the ones in her area are open earlier in the year than ours, being that much …
Truly organic?
This morning, I had the extreme pleasure of speaking to a lovely elderly lady named Sonja, with a European accent I couldn’t quite place. I was calling to ask when the strawberries on her farm would be ready to buy, and we ended by talking about when to plant corn, and organic gardening newsletters, heirloom …