When the Latin word for an herb - valere - literally translates as "to be well," it kind of grabs your attention, right? For thousands of years, valerian root (valere in Latin) has been relied upon to support emotional well-being, healing sleep, muscle relaxation, stress relief and more. In fact, during World War II, England’s [...] Continue Reading
Archives for January 2021
Crème Brûlée Recipe
On this day **indistinct cough** years ago, I was running through an airport with my childhood crush and a wedding dress over my head. By sundown I’d left my old world behind, and within twenty-four hours I had a new last name and a marriage certificate that's more colorful than an Olympic logo. The ceremony was a blur – I think I was in shock [...] Continue Reading
5 Benefits Of Delayed Cord Clamping
"Cut the cord." Before it was a catch phrase used to describe ditching cable companies and cutting off allowances, it was a moment. A touch point in every single one of our lives. After a baby is born, we usually think of the umbilical cord as a relic - part a life support system that is no longer needed. But the reality is that the cord has one [...] Continue Reading
How To Make Homemade Dishwasher Detergent That Actually Works
If you’ve ever tried making homemade dishwasher detergent and been disappointed with the results, chances are you were closer to a great recipe than you thought! Most do-it-yourself formulas use the same basic ingredients, but there’s a trick to getting natural cleaning recipes to work. You see, cleansers like washing soda are [...] Continue Reading
Easy Gluten-Free Lemon Bars Recipe
Tart and sweet, these gluten-free lemon bars are like little squares of sunshine on a plate. They're adapted from this lemon curd recipe, but I swapped a few ingredients in order to create an impossibly rich and smooth lemony custard texture. Because I don't know about you, but I have strong opinions about lemon bars with thin, lumpy [...] Continue Reading
Easy Beard Oil Recipe (Makes Scruff Kissable!)
I didn't really know what romance was until my husband started greeting me with a warm cup of coffee every morning. When our kids were little and up before dawn, he'd say that if he couldn't help me get more sleep he could at least make me coffee, and I'm pretty sure I swooned the first time he brought it to me in bed. Parenting [...] Continue Reading
23 Science-Backed Tips for Deeper, More Restful Sleep
Inside: 23 science-backed sleep tips for deeper, more restful zzz’s that work even if you have kids! Have you ever woken up with an "aha" solution to a problem? If so, you're not alone. Dreams are linked to some of the most important breakthroughs in history, including the Theory of Relativity, the shape of DNA, and countless [...] Continue Reading
How To Choose A Natural Wine (And Why It Matters)
Once upon a time, I thought wine had it out for me. After just one glass with dinner I'd wake up the next day feeling icky no matter what variety I'd sipped: chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, etc. Turns out, though, I'm just sensitive to some of the additives found in most conventional wines . . . and I'm not the only one. Natural wines have [...] Continue Reading