Wellness Mama®
Simple Answers for Healthier Families
Growing up, it never occurred to me that it was possible to make soap at home. I was born in a big city, grew up in another and soap was always a white-colored bar from Ivory that came in a package. Why Make Soap at Home? I’d always been crafty, and when I found recipes …
“Police work wouldn’t be possible without coffee,” Wallander said. “No work would be possible without coffee.” They pondered the importance of coffee in silence. -Henning Mankell, One Step Behind For many people (ok, ok, including me), coffee is a favorite morning drink. For me, it has never been about the caffeine, as I like decaf …
Collagen is one of the most abundant proteins in the body and it makes up a large part of our skin, hair and nails. Technically a polypeptide, collagen contains a mixture of amino acids like proline and glycine, which are found in all connective tissue within the body (including vital organs!). While beauty treatments and …
Note from Katie: I received so many requests for more learning/homeschool articles after my post about how we set up our homeschool classroom, that I’m excited to welcome my real-life friend Angie (the most organized and creative homeschool mom I know) to share how she is incorporating Montessori at home and using Montessori-inspired principles in …
Isn’t it great that as moms, we always have the time and money to go get a massage whenever we need one? I’m kidding, of course as most of us are lucky if we can squeeze in getting a shower between throwing a meatloaf in the slow cooker and cleaning a bathroom. In fact, between the nursing, …
There are so many great reasons to smear your food on your face… Foods like yogurt can help boost natural beneficial bacteria on the skin, while many fruits and vegetables offer vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Face masks have been used for centuries and were a method of skincare long before there were high-priced designer skin …
This is the time of year when I make a variety of different tinctures to preserve herbs for long-term use. I typically make traditional alcohol based tinctures, because they concentrate and preserve the herbs for years, but glycerin tincture are an alcohol-free option for children or those who can’t tolerate alcohol. What is a Glycerite? …
You know that whole “don’t judge a book by its cover” thing? I’ve always been pretty decent about that when it actually comes to books, but pretty terrible when it comes to food (especially when I was younger). One bad experience with a certain food could turn me off of that food for months or …
Cushaw squash is a versatile, delicious and inexpensive winter squash that is not as well known as butternut and acorn squashes but just as delicious. It has a taste similar to acorn squash, but slightly sweeter. How to Find Cushaw? If you’re lucky, you might be able to score one of these delicious squash at …
Raw Manuka Honey is a mainstay in my herbal remedies cabinet to speed healing on all types of wounds, and I’ve used it with great results on several occasions. Why Raw Honey? Most recently, when the blade of my beloved spiralizer that makes vegetable noodles sliced off almost all of the fingerprint on my pinky finger. To be …
I have used red raspberry leaf for years. It is an amazing multi-purpose and highly-nutritious herb with a delicious taste similar to regular black tea (but without the caffeine). When pregnant, I start using red raspberry leaf tea as part of my pregnancy blend in late second and third trimester. Though red raspberry leaf tea …
I love and use various healing clays, and one that I am especially enjoying right now is Rhassoul Clay. This natural clay from Morocco is incredible for skin and hair and is inexpensive. What is Rhassoul Clay? Rhassoul Clay is a high-quality soothing clay for external use that stores indefinitely if kept dry. It is …
