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The Unplugged Family Activity Book

Herbal Adventures

LüSa Mama Instagram

lusa_mama

Rachel Jepson Wolf
New blog post today, with a roundup of anti-racism New blog post today, with a roundup of anti-racism resources for families and adults. Link in my bio.
Are you feeling heart-heavy? Yeah, here too. After Are you feeling heart-heavy? Yeah, here too. After a homeschooling day (mostly math, spelling, and anti-racism work with the book I shared in my last post)—and a lot of reading and talking about what is happening just across the river in Minnesota—the kids and I needed some time outside to shake ourselves out. We headed down to the barn in a light rain to inoculate shiitake logs, a project we’ve had on the docket all season. ➰ It was the busy-hands sort of work that we all needed, and allowed a different energetic space for our conversations to continue, as all of us asked hard questions and reflected deeply on power and privilege. ➰ Projects like these are among my favorite parts of homeschooling: these life-skills building projects that likely wouldn’t make the cut for most middle and high school curriculums. The forest and field and farm lessons that they will carry with them as they set off into the world, as well as the much needed conversations that unfold when we engage in this way. ➰ At the same time, I can’t help but notice how privileged we are to have the time and space, freedom, and safety to learn this way—among so many other privileges we barely even notice. The disparities in our world are staggering; change is centuries overdue. Keep listening and keep fighting, friends. Keep learning and talking and demanding change. ➰ (Swipe to see a bit of the inoculation process.) . . . #learningtogether #homeschoolersofinstagram #lifelearning #lifelearners #homeschooling #thatsdarling #interestledlearning #homeschoollife #unschooling #simplicityparenting #handsonlearning #wildschooling #homeschoolactivities #homeschoolingfamily #selfdirectedlearning #homeschool365 #shiitakemushrooms #shiitakelogs #handsonlearning
I normally come here to talk about herbs and forag I normally come here to talk about herbs and foraging, simplicity and imperfection. But today I’m here for something else. Something so important, that more of us need to talk about. Racism. ➰ Because: Black lives matter. Black lives matter. Black lives matter. Black lives matter. Black lives matter. Black lives matter. Black lives matter. Black lives matter. ➰ And I thought some of you might value some resources, for both you and your kids. ➰ Sage, Lupine and I just started reading "This Book is Anti-Racist" by @tiffanymjewell. It's one of the foundations of our homeschooling curriculum this season. I've also assigned Sage (now 17) to read the book "Lies My Teacher Told Me" and to listen to the "Seeing White" podcast series by Scene on Radio. These are small starts, but they are starts nonetheless. ➰ As parents of white children, we can start to chip away at the systemic racism that is our country's foundation. As people with privilege, we can use our voices and our bodies and our power to generate positive change in a terribly broken system. As humans—as living, breathing, caring people—we can tirelessly work toward a more equitable world. Will you join me? ➰ If you're looking for some resources, here are a few IG accounts to get you started (please add other suggestions in the comments below.): ➰ The Conscious Kid @theconsciouskid Rachel Cargle @rachel.cargle Ijeoma Oluo @ijeomaoluo Antiracism Center @antiracismctr
With admirable intentions, many of us have become With admirable intentions, many of us have become better consumers in recent years, choosing products that come with less plastic, less packaging, or more sustainable raw materials. We reach for the recycled paper towels, the organic cotton dress, the domestically made bits or bobs. ➰ But what if we took our lifestlye choices one step further (or, closer, as it were) by buying less in the first place? ➰ Yesterday, after the garden was planted and the four of us scattered to our own quiet projects, books, and tasks, I wandered into the sewing corner of my bedroom. ➰ We've been short on dishcloths for some months, scrounging for something to use for kitchen clean-up several times each week. Before COVID, I suppose I would have planned a detour past Target on my next trip to the city to buy another set. But yesterday, I pulled out a worn bath towel that had been relegated to the rag bin (after serving its towel purpose faithfully for nearly two decades). I looked it over, and made a plan. ➰ I cut part of the towel into 8" squares, then stitched the edges with my serger (though a zig-zag stitch on a regular machine or a careful blanket stitch by hand would work equally well). And just like that, I had a stack of thick, thirsty cloths, better than the thin, cheap, imported cloths I would have purchased. I have no doubt these will late at least 5 times as long, and they literally cost me nothing. I was delighted. ➰ Inspired by this upcycling win, I also myself a few new cloth menstrual pads from the same bath towel, an upcycled flannel sheet, and some diaper cover fabric I had on hand. ➰ Finally, I leveled-up both my sustainability game and my hippie game in one fell swoop. Using a second retired, flannel bedsheet, I stitch up some family cloth for our bathroom. Like so many others, we've been short on toilet paper around here, and Lupine and I decided that there adding cloth wipes for pee would be a simple, sustainable adaptation that would take little effort on either of our parts. ➰ These small but significant projects will help us live a little more mindfully, consciously, and lightly here on the Earth. And I can't think of anything more satisfying.
Three words: lilac soda syrup. 💜 Find the recip Three words: lilac soda syrup. 💜 Find the recipe (from The Unplugged Family Activity Book) through the link! . . . @quartokids #kitchenwitch #herbalistlife #herbaleducation #foraging #wildedibles #foraged #sustainableliving #zerowastekitchen #embracingaslowerlife #flashesofdelight #seeksimplicity #daysofsmallthings #theartofslowliving #nourishment #slowlived #slowandsimpledays #inmykitchen #simplify #unplugged #unpluggedchildhood #unpluggedfamily #unpluggedfamilyactivitybook #lilac #lilacs
May I ask a small favor of you, friends? Because I May I ask a small favor of you, friends? Because I could truly use your help. Just a month from today, The Unplugged Family Activity Book will land in the welcoming world. It's a wild time to launch a book, and I would love to have a team standing beside me, cheering this little book on. Below are five small, but powerful things you can do to help support me during the launch of The Unplugged Family Activity Book. (Aside from pre-ordering your family’s copy, none of them will cost you a dime.) 1. PRE-ORDER THE UNPLUGGED FAMILY ACTIVITY BOOK You can pick up a copy for yourself, your family, or a friend directly from me, or through your local bookshop. 2. CONTACT YOUR LIBRARY Drop an email to your local library, requesting they pick up a copy for their shelves. It’s a perfect resource for what will surely prove to be a DIY-fun sort of summer season. 3. TELL YOUR FRIENDS! Word-of-mouth is everything, so talk it up. I can’t express enough how important this one is. Use social media, email, or a good old-fashioned phone call. Whatever your strategy, I appreciate each and every recommendation. 4. POST A REVIEW After your copy arrives, post a review online. Goodreads and Amazon are both excellent places to generate some positive buzz that helps other families know better what to expect within the pages. Along with sharing with your friends, reviews are profoundly helpful for the longtime trajectory of any book. 5. GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY! Then get out there and enjoy all 60+ ideas, projects, recipes, and celebrations. And savor this season. If you share photographs online, use #unpluggedfamilyactivitiybook to share your adventures and creations. Thanks, friends. It means so much to have your support along this road.
My favorite quarantine project so far? Gutting and My favorite quarantine project so far? Gutting and renovating our vintage camper, Nellie, with my kids. ➰ All three of us are stretching beyond our skill set to tear out water-damaged paneling and rebuild this baby from the inside out. And it’s ridiculously satisfying. ➰ We’re taking risks and learning skills and wielding tools we have never used before. We have no idea what we’re doing, yet by some witchy magic, we’re leaning in and doing it anyway! ➰ And it’s so damn empowering. ➰ Because I’m so tired of surrendering to the idea that if someone else can do it better, I shouldn’t even try. That logic has stalled me out for years, as I sit by waiting for someone else to do the things I long to do myself. ➰ To quote my new business teacher + mentor, @marieforleo, “everything is figureoutable”. Oh, yeah it is! And what a fine lesson that is to hand off to my peeps. ➰ Where are you finding a sliver of light these days?
Let's pivot together. ➰ Last week, one of my dea Let's pivot together. ➰ Last week, one of my dearest friends lovingly challenged my language choice when I reported to her that during COVID we were "drinking unreasonable quantities of tea". ➰ She had called to check in on our emotional health; to see how we were weathering this collective storm. ➰ “I'm going to challenge your word choice," she said, sliding into her professional role as therapist. "What if instead of drinking 'too much tea' or 'an unreasonable amount' you are simply 'enjoying tea together' as part of your COVID experience? Because unless we're talking about you pounding a bottle of vodka every night, drinking an extra two cups of black tea every day is a valid part of your coping strategy.” ➰ Oh, yes. Language matters, doesn't it? ➰ And so her loving lesson settled in deep. ➰ If you were to swing by our kitchen this season, you would indeed find us enjoying copious and frequent mugs of black tea during quarantine. And on the days when I'm really lucky, you might also find my kids cooking, baking, and churning out gorgeous loaves of bread, lofty and beautiful cakes, and rich rhubarb ice cream for us to savor as well. ➰ Are we eating too much wheat, sugar, and other comfort foods these days? Last week, I would have laughed, and said, "YES!" But this week? I'm going to say no. We're simply... enjoying a few treats during this time hunkered down at home. And not unlike our garden and house projects, foraging trips to the woods, and hours in the workshop, it's just another piece of how we're getting by. No judgment, no baggage, just us: surviving (and even thriving) during quarantine. How comforting it feels to put down that judgment and negativity. Exhale. ➰ How about you? What are you gravitating toward this season? Is it more in the neighborhood of yoga or dark chocolate? Television binging or deep meditation? Lattes or herbal infusions? ➰ All are valid. There’s no shame in your coping game, friends.
This is undoubtedly a difficult time for so many, This is undoubtedly a difficult time for so many, and small independent makers are surely among them. With events cancelled and the future uncertain, artists and other creatives are among those facing uncertainty. ➰ During the next few weeks, I will share with you a few of my very favorite creatives. If have the financial means, supporting these artists with a purchase during this unprecedented season would mean so much. ➰ My own strategy has been to choose one maker or local business each week to make a small purchase from. A piece of art from a local friend, a gift certificate from my local yarn shop, a book directly from an author I respect. ➰ And I realized that I can introduce you to some of my faves, so that you might support them, as well. Because that is how we do community—by coming together and shoring each other up during rough seas. ➰ This week: Taproot Magazine (@taprootmag). As many of you know, I have been a contributor to Taproot for years, sharing thoughts (and recipes) on a variety of favorite subjects: from herbal remedies to maple syruping, unschooling to foraging and more. My contributions are tiny in comparison to the wealth of knowledge that many of the magazine’s other contributors provide. These pages never fail to inspire my family and me to live deeper, more authentic lives. ➰ And while many of us with the means are supporting our favorite small, local businesses right now, throwing them a lifeline during lean times, I would encourage you to add beloved ad-free magazines to that list as well. ➰ Buy a back issue bundle or order a subscription, or pick up some supplies from their artisan market. Whatever you choose will certainly serve you during these uncertain times. ➰ I’m sharing good things in the next few issues, including dandelion medicine and a grab-and-go first aid kit for kids. And my mom’s granola recipe is on their website. I hope to see you there.
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Recent Posts

  • Resources for anti-racism work
  • Lilac Soda Syrup Recipe: A gift from The Unplugged Family Activity Book
  • Are you drinking “too much” coffee, or just making space for self-care?
  • 300 trees: our carbon-offset plan
  • Dreaming of Hydrosols

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