Order Your Almanac Today!

Living Naturally

How To Use Coffee Grounds for Plants: A Gardener's Guide

Used coffee grounds can be great for your garden! But there’s some misinformation out there. In this article, we’ll explore how this nitrogen-rich material can improve your soil—if used correctly—and how to use coffee grounds for plants.I love my coffee strong and black. We get our beans from the local food co-op and grind them fresh for every pot, leaving us with many coffee grounds. These…
Cleavers herb in a small wicker basket

Benefits of the Cleavers Plant: A Spring Herb for Health

Like the dandelion, a wild plant called “cleavers” arrives in springtime. Cleavers is one of the most useful herbs in our home! The herb is an amazing spring cleanser and lymph mover, removing waste and abnormal cells. Learn how to identify this plant, discover its health benefits, and find out how to use this medicinal herb in your home. You may not be familiar with the cleavers plant…
Ground Ivy

Ground Ivy: How to Identify, Uses, and Benefits

We’re betting many of you have ground ivy in your yard or garden. This unassuming plant appears in early spring, along with the dandelions. While often considered an invasive weed, ground ivy is a perennial herb with an often-forgotten culinary and medicinal history! Learn about the many uses and benefits of ground ivy.What is Ground Ivy?Ground ivy (Glechoma Hederacea) is a perennial…

Spring Cleaning Naturally: 6 Ingredients to Know

When it comes to spring cleaning or any kind of housecleaning, I use an array of six admirably versatile natural cleaning products: vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, salt, borax, and wood ash.I started using these products many years ago—mostly because so many commercial cleaning products gave me headaches and irritated my eyes and nasal passages. The headaches stopped, the…
Close-up photograph of chickweed on a wooden board

Chickweed Benefits: An edible spring weed with many uses!

Chickweed is one of the first greens to pop up in spring. She is often overlooked as a weed, but she’s an herb known for high amounts of minerals and vitamins. Learn about the amazing health benefits of chickweed—and how to use this wild plant as food and medicine in your life!In the carnation family, Chickweed (Stellaria media) is also known as starweed, starwort, winterweed, and…

Forgetfulness: Am I Losing My Mind? 

If you’ve moved into middle age and beyond, it happens with increasing frequency: You see an old acquaintance, and you can’t remember her first name. Or, you open a closet, then you can’t remember what you came to retrieve. Most of us find these lapses annoying, sometimes frightening. Is it normal? Is My Forgetfulness Normal?Many people worry that their forgetfulness…

Wearing Socks to Bed: Warm Feet, Better Sleep?

Ever heard the old advice that wearing socks can help you fall asleep? Now, there is evidence that there is some truth to this advice. Warm feet lead to better (and faster) sleep!Many Americans need all the help available to get a good night’s sleep. One Consumer Reports study found that 68 percent of us had sleeping difficulties at least once a week, and an estimated 27 percent of…

What Is The Best Sleeping Position?

Be it for a catnap or a full night’s sleep, find out which sleeping position is best and how your favorite sleeping position affects your health. We’ll also show you how providing pillows to support your sleeping position can help reduce stress on your body and get you sleeping better. Is There a Best Sleeping Position?Front, back, right side, left side? Curled up, straight as…

Souped-Up: Give Your Soups an Herbal Health Boost!

Herbs are a natural health booster! Tucking herbs into soup is a simple and flavorful way to protect yourself from illness. Here are the best herbs for soup—and 10 delicious soups using healthy herbs.Modern medical science owes a lot to herbs and plants. More than 27 % of today’s medicines are derived originally from plants. Eating a wider variety of plant foods, especially…
stainless steel stockpot with the cover leaning against it.

A Stainless-Steel Stockpot: 9 Reasons You Need One

The stainless steel stockpot has become one of my most used and useful household tools. I think everyone should own one. (I now own two.) Buy the largest, heaviest one you can afford. Here’s why:9 Ways to Use Your Stainless Steel StockpotCook For a CrowdA big stockpot allows you to steam a large amount of corn on the cob, boil a lobster, brine a small-to-medium-sized turkey,…
Woman receiving a natural beauty treatment

DIY Face and Hair Masks: Nourishment From the Kitchen!

For centuries, people have been using fruits, vegetables, and other natural products to nourish their skin and hair. Here are four easy DIY recipes for a cucumber face mask, honey yogurt face mask, banana hair mask, and lip color. All use products straight from your kitchen! Have fun!History of Natural BeautyAvocado, cornmeal, cabbage, honey, milk, eggs, potatoes, cucumbers, apple cider…
a "woodchuck" firewood cart, on a snowy path beside a door

Surviving Blizzards, Cold Snaps, and Power Outages

Ever had a blizzard or snowstorm cause power outages or emergency conditions? How do you prepare for and survive the storm? Here are some tips from a winter weather veteran.Up here in northern New England, we have had our fair share of walloping nor’easters. One year, blizzard conditions rolled into town at night, and we’d accumulated 10 inches of wet, heavy snow and…
“Living Naturally” is all about living a naturally healthy lifestyle. Margaret Boyles covers health tips, ways to avoid illness, natural remedies, food that’s good for body and soul, recipes for homemade beauty products, ideas to make your home a healthy and safe haven, and the latest news on health. Our goal is also to encourage self-sufficiency, whether it’s relearning some age-old skills or getting informed on modern improvements that help us live better, healthier lives.
Feed