Living Naturally
Think stale bread is destined for the compost? Think again! From cleaning up broken glass to softening brown sugar, old bread has a surprising second life. These clever, practical household uses for stale bread prove that even yesterday’s loaf can save the day (and your kitchen).Make your own bread to enjoy fresh—and save the leftovers for these clever uses!Household Uses for Stale…
Peanut butter isn’t just for sandwiches anymore! This pantry staple is surprisingly handy around the house—from removing sticky labels to polishing leather shoes. Whether you’re cleaning, fixing, or just getting creative, a jar of peanut butter can be your secret weapon. Read on for some of the most clever and unexpected household uses for peanut butter!Warning: If you or a family member…
Have you ever canned tomato sauce? This super-basic, canned (jarred) tomato sauce contains only tomatoes—with a little lemon juice or acid for safety. We seal the jars in a boiling water bath. No special “canner” needed. Get ready to use up all of those end-of-summer tomatoes!Why Canning Tomato Sauce Is Worth ItI grew up in a small-town neighborhood in a family that tended a big…
As the cool fall weather sets in, it’s the perfect time to declutter drawers and get creative with reusing what you already have. If you’ve got a pile of lonely socks or stretched-out pantyhose, don’t toss them just yet! From clever household hacks to smart garden tricks, there are plenty of ways to repurpose old socks and nylons.Like me, you probably have a drawer or box with tights and…
What exactly is Holy Basil? This herb, also known as Tulsi, is an incredible healing herb with numerous benefits, leaving you to ask, “What can’t it do?!” Learn all about this “Queen of Herbs”—plus, find recipes and growing information.What is Holy Basil (Tulsi)?A part of the large and beloved mint family, tulsi is in good company alongside rosemary, sage, all mints, basil, and many…
Garlic isn’t just the secret to flavor-packed pasta sauces—it’s also one of the oldest healing plants in history. For more than 5,000 years, garlic has been celebrated as food, medicine, and even folklore magic. From boosting heart health to fending off colds, this humble bulb has earned its title as “the stinking rose.” But garlic isn’t only powerful in the kitchen or the medicine…
As harvest time wraps up, most gardeners will glean the last stragglers—the tiny, struggling zucchini, a malformed carrot. This act of gleaning is also a metaphor for life.What Is Gleaning?“To glean” means to gather what was left by the reapers. Historically, the reapers were those who planted and harvested the main crops. The gleaners were those who followed behind and collected…
I’ve lived in an old house sheathed with cedar shingles for decades, throughout which I’ve often (but never intentionally) shared it with mice, flying squirrels, chipmunks, and, occasionally, Norway rats. What to do? Here’s advice for identifying, controlling, and preventing rodents in the home.How Do Rodents Get In?Rodents can enter through impossibly tiny openings: A rat or…
Mmmm, it tastes like fall! Homemade applesauce is so easy to make … Preserve your apple harvest by canning your applesauce in a water-bath canner for year-round deliciousness!With homemade applesauce, you can control the texture and the amount of sugar (or, you don’t need sugar at all if you use naturally sweet apples). Then, of course, there’s the explosive taste…
Stacks of newspapers piling up? Don’t just recycle—reuse! From starting fires in the woodstove to mulching the garden to cleaning your windows streak-free, newspapers are more versatile than you might think. Here are some smart, sustainable, and even fun ways to reuse newspapers around the house and yard.How to Reuse NewspapersNewspaper Uses in the GardenWith two woodstoves in…
You probably have a box of cornstarch sitting on a pantry shelf, waiting to thicken your next cream sauce or gravy. But did you know it can also serve as a cheap, nontoxic cleaning product that cuts grease, removes stains, scrubs, deodorizes, untangles, transforms into nontoxic finger paint, and more? Here’s a list of some practical ways to use cornstarch to save money and…
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. Best Sleeping Positions for Health and ComfortFront, back, right side, left side? Curled up,…