HMN Blog

DIY Popsicles

Popsicles are a cool and healthy treat for kids and adults during the summer and are super quick and easy to make. Prep after breakfast for a late afternoon snack or freeze overnight. Stainless steel and silicone molds are available to make creating pops super simple but you can use what you have around the house too! Muffin tins, recycled yogurt containers, ice cube trays and even loaf pans work. Just partially freeze your popsicle mix then add a popsicle stick to the mixture. Loaf pans can be sliced into individual servings after removing. Here are 2 recipes you can try. Share with the family or make them an adult-only treat with an alcohol addition! Watermelon Lime Popsicles 3 cups […]

Read more »

Reconnect with Nature: The Benefits to Getting Outdoors

Many of us feel a deep connection to nature and can sense the calming effect that spending time outdoors has on ourselves and our family. Intuitively it makes sense, we evolved over thousands of years living among nature and have only recently have separated our daily lives from the outdoors. Its fascinating to learn the science behind why we feel that way and to hear about all the benefits that nature has on our minds and bodies that we might not immediately recognize. The amazing thing is that these benefits are so accessible, you might already be doing some of these things every day. Beyond our own awareness of the mindfulness and calm that being outdoors can bring, science has […]

Read more »

Self Care DIY Ideas

Self-care is about giving yourself a gift and making time to do the things that fill your soul so you can care for others. This month ask for help and make it happen! Perhaps you crave a long walk or run outdoors, time to create with a favorite hobby or quiet to read a book. Sometimes we have gotten ourselves to a point where we are so depleted we aren’t even sure what we want and lack the energy to make a decision when we get the time to do so. If you’re finding yourself uninspired, start here with a delicious tea designed to relieve stress Unwind Tea Blend (makes 1 cup) 1/2 tsp dried lavender flowers 1/2 tsp dried […]

Read more »

Achieving Flow State

It’s May, when we intentionally celebrate moms in every form. Mothering and motherhood is so much about caring for others, understanding others’ needs and wants, learning and doing for our kids, laughing and crying, investing time and energy, and giving of our physical and mental being. We wanted to talk about something that isn’t always part of the mothering conversation, but it can make it all even more rewarding and fulfilling: achieving flow state. This is, of course, beneficial to everyone, but can be particularly important for moms. Flow state, also known as being “in the zone,” is a state of mind in which you are fully immersed in a task or activity, experiencing complete focus and deep enjoyment of […]

Read more »

Connecting with Our Mother Earth

As Earth Day approaches many of us focus on doing. Lists of ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle are abundant, and it’s a necessary piece of our responsibilities as we mark Earth Day each year. We created this resource a couple of years ago to help with just that. This year, however, we would like to go a bit deeper, and reflect on our relationship with the planet that sustains us, specifically from the perspective of mothers and motherhood. As mothers, there is nothing more precious to us than the bond we share with our children. It’s a connection that runs deep, built on a foundation of unconditional love, nurturing, and protection. As we celebrate Earth Day, we are reminded […]

Read more »

Dandelion Recipes

Many early spring flowers and greens are edible and very nutritious. Pre-refrigeration these foraged crops were a welcome change to a winter diet lacking in fresh foods and provided a nutrient rich boost to spring diets before new crops came in. Dandelions, usually treated as a weedy nuisance, are wonderful perennial herbs widely spread across the world. When young, the whole flower, greens and roots can be used in a variety of recipes from jellies, honey, salads, baking, soups, even coffee substitutes and wine! Since these plants are so prolific, easily identifiable and their look-alikes are non toxic they are a great first step into foraging.  You can identify dandelions by their hollow stem with a milky sap. They have […]

Read more »

Seed Starting

March is a great time for seed starting for many annual vegetables for most of the US! With seeds you have greater choice of the variety as well as the preparation and care of the plants used to generate your seeds at less cost than purchasing seedlings at a local nursery or farm. There are a few key things to consider when starting seeds. The first is timing! How long do plants take to germinate and grow into a seedling that can be transplanted? When can your plants go in the ground in relation to the last frost date in your area and how long will they take to mature? Working in a spreadsheet or notebook can help you keep […]

Read more »

No-Till Gardening: Less Work & Healthier Plants

Soil is a living thing, each handful is full of millions of organisms including, bacteria, fungus, viruses, insects and invertebrates. All of these organisms are working together to help the soil replenish itself through decomposing plant material on the surface, helping to build soil structure by holding water and air, and supporting the conversion of minerals in the soil into components plants use to thrive. By using no-till gardening techniques we can support this natural process keeping the soil structure intact. No till methods help our soil thrive and improve over time, growing healthier plants all with less work than traditional methods and can be used as an organic gardening method anywhere from a commercial market garden to a patio […]

Read more »

Around the Table

by Nancy Peplinsky, Founder Holistic Moms Network Above my over-sized dining room table are the words “The fondest memories are made when gathered around the table.” Growing up, my parents were relatively flexible in their parenting style but were strict about always sitting down to dinner as a family. The dinner table was a place not only to enjoy a meal, but a place of connection, conversation, and exploration. My father was ever the scholar and always intellectually curious. As a passionate teacher of the humanities, he brought his interests in art, literature, language, history, and philosophy to the table, quite literally. Dinner conversation could extend hours beyond the completion of a meal, debating life’s great questions, comparing interpretations of […]

Read more »

DIY Vapor Rub

Create a simple vapor rub to help sniffly noses breathe a little easier and avoid harmful products in commercial blends like petroleum jelly. Please note the use of EOs in this mix that may not be appropriate for children under 3 years. Ingredients 4 tsp beeswax beads 2 T cocoa butter 8 T coconut oil 20 drops each of rosemary, peppermint, and eucalyptus essential oils Directions Melt beeswax and cocoa butter in a double boiler Once melted turn off the heat and add coconut oil and essential oils Pour into a clean glass jar with a tight fitting lid Makes about 3/4 cup Can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 year Ingredient Benefits: Beeswax: the base to […]

Read more »