Home Ec

How to Celebrate Advent Simply, no matter what your faith This is not really a “How To” in any sort of prescriptive way. I like the simplicity of that title. Advent is defined as the four Sundays that lead up to Christmas. Yet, in my family, where we celebrate Hannukah, Christmas, and the big event…
Read More

When Money Matters More: DIY Mattresses The last thing my mom was thinking about when she had three kids while on welfare was whether to get a natural mattress. And, when our daughter was ready for a “real kid” mattress, we couldn’t afford it at the time. So, what costs almost no money and does…
Read More

The Winter Spiral aka the Advent Spiral is a beautiful tradition that can grace the season of any family, no matter what the belief system. I have been exposed to Advent Spirals from two sources. One, through Waldorf, where every year my children, and sometimes I, have walked into and back out of a double…
Read More

All-purpose cleaner Mix a really gentle castile soap, like Dr. Bronner’s, with warm water. Use a clean sponge, rags, or a brush, and scrub! One cup of soap in 3.8 litres (1 gallon) of water is a good concentration for walls, floors, and counters. One part castile soap to one part water in a foaming…
Read More

DIY baby wipes & bum spray recipe from The Green Mama Make a little spray bottle for on the go, take your cloth wipes and pre- soak them, or make disposable baby wipes by adding the baby wipe mix to an unbleached, paper towel roll cut in half or a to flushable cloth- diaper liners….
Read More

Are you looking for a dairy-free or milk-protein-free milk substitute or infant formula? First, please remember that it is extremely rare that a baby would be lactose sensitive or allergic. Breast milk is made up largely of lactose and baby’s are designed to consume breastmilk. There is a genetic condition that does occur that makes…
Read More

After years of pondering the possibility we finally installed solar panels to heat our hot water yesterday.  Of course I would like to have a photovoltaic roof and  be off-grid running on strictly sustainable sources of power, but for the moment that is not our lot.  Our town of Evanston, Il approved a three-year contract in…
Read More

Dry shampoo is just what it sounds like–dry–and you use it dry! In other words, it’s a new mother’s little helper. Don’t have time for a shower and the pony tail look isn’t cutting it–DIY dry shampoo is the trick. The issue with shampooing in general is that its literally addictive. The more you shampoo…
Read More

This recipe has changed and morphed over the years – but it is basically the simplest and best skin hydration I’ve found. Not only do I make it to use at home, I make extra when I blend a batch to share with new mamas in my community. No photos will be shared of this…
Read More

1, 2, 3…. beautiful paper garlands By Vanessa Zises Filley

Athlete’s Foot: Yuck. However, if you are an athlete or the mother to one, this nasty little foot fungus might very well be all to familiar. One look at those over the counter anti-fungul creams and their BIG warnings: DO NOT USE IF PREGNANT OR NURSING and I, at least, thought: “There must be a…
Read More