balsam apple pods in my hands

Forgotten herb: balsam apple

A funny thing happened on the way to the drug store...ah, this is so me. We were on vacation in the Florida Keys, and I took a short walk across the street to pick up a few things at the drug store. I stopped to admire a pretty bush with silvery leaves, and something bright caught my eye. A neon orange, spikey fruit called the balsam apple dangling from a vine. I had to know more.

hand holding coconut oil sugar scrub

Two common diy skincare ingredients you should think twice about

Did you ever have an unexpected reaction to a natural ingredient? Probably. People do all the time. The way a person's systems absorbs...or rejects...the compounds it comes in contact with is unique. While natural ingredients are wonderful, they are not risk-free. I can speak from experience. Here are two common diy skincare ingredients that are usually but, not perfectly, safe and how I found out.

Orange bag full of farm stand fresh root vegetables beet radish parsnip celeraic

3 new ideas to increase your farm stand revenue in the new year

Farm stands can be simple little tables at the end of your driveway. They can be elaborate set-ups at farmers markets or fancy sheds on the roadside. Regardless of the size of your farm stand, are you maximizing your revenue? Here are three new ideas to increase your farm stand revenue. Should I care about…

Once. I admit it. I bought all the stuff, designated a hand mixer and a stainless steel pot, and made soap from scratch with my sister, just once. Now the soap-making equipment sits in my basement. But, after reading this post on hot process soap making, I’m starting to feel inspired to get another batch…

DIY dry shampoo for red hair

In the past, I've used trial-sized, store-bought dry shampoos, but we didn't have any in the house. What I did have was some spices and cornstarch I bought for a pie filling. How skeptical are you right now? Probably about as skeptical as I was. But, with limited options, I took a risk and tried a DIY dry shampoo recipe that worked great!

Read on for the full recipe for a quick, easy DIY dry shampoo for red hair and my review.