organic

There’s little better than fresh lavender, whether as an essential oil, an herb for cooking, in a fresh bouquet, or, my personal favorite, growing abundantly on a local farm.

Kids may be out of school for the summer, but that doesn’t mean that they need to live off of a diet of microwaved pizza, fruit roll-ups, and Slurpees. It’s likely easier than you think to prepare ready-to-go snacks between summer camps and beach days, and even simpler to ensure that they’re healthful, providing your children with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that are especially needed during childhood.

Nourishing your skin from the inside out makes sense, but few of us use this in practice. It’s easy to slap on drugstore sunscreen and spend hours outside but there are unseen, and often unacknowledged, dangers in conventional sunscreen. Protecting yourself from ultraviolet radiation is important in avoiding sunburns, sunspots, wrinkles, and dry, peeling skin, but some unprotected sunshine is also needed for optimal absorption of vitamin D.

It can be hard to look away from puppy-dog eyes when you’re enjoying a piece of meat, a cube of cheese, or (in the case of me and my dog, Mohi) a slice of cucumber. Providing your pet with treats is fun, rewarding, and useful as a way of positive reinforcement training. Unfortunately, much like their human counterparts, many dogs, cats, and even smaller critters don’t receive enough exercise and thus can be victims to weight gain, lethargy, and the host of symptoms that overeating can bring.

I recently returned from a writing residency in Slovenia, the small country that sits east of Italy and lays wedged between Austria to the north and Croatia in the south. Few people are aware of its existence, and prior to spending several weeks there, I considered myself to be fairly unaware of it, too. Unfortunately, Slovenia deserves a lot more credit than it gets, specifically for its greenness—think low pollution levels, preservation of natural resources, encouragement of biodiversity, and more.

Summer is finally here! Unfortunately, that also means you need to keep the mosquitoes at bay. Here are three completely natural bug repellent DIYs that will save you a buck and keep the bugs away. Bonus points: They smell good to you, not the bugs! 

For many people, the start of summer means camping and everything that comes along with dirtbaggin’ it for the weekend: tents, campfires, starry nights, and camping food. Unfortunately, as much as fresh air, long hikes, and spending your days outside in nature are great for your health, camping food isn’t.

June is one of my favorite months. While April and May bring the promise of buds (and sometimes May gardening is plain delightful), June brings flowers: showy rhododendron, brilliant iris, scented lilac, and delicate poppies burst into bloom. Across the country temperatures begin to rise and days get longer, meaning early sunrise watering sessions or late-night tea out on the deck.

Cleaning your bathroom, with all its grout, gunk, and stains need not be a harsh chemical affair. Try these organic cleaners that are gentle on your hands and on the environment too…

Gardening in May can be delightful—or delightfully treacherous. One year can bring early spring sunshine while another can bring weeks’ worth of downpours. In some cases, frost can continue until the end of the month. While no one can account for freak weather, there are many must-dos during the month that can ensure your blooms are vibrant and your garden productive all summer long.