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The Unplugged Family Activity Book

Herbal Adventures

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I've been thinking a lot these days about the impa

I've been thinking a lot these days about the impact of our belongings. Clothes, bedsheets, lamps, shoes... all of the things we surround ourselves with to make our lives more beautiful and functional.

I’ve been a devoted second-hand shopper for ages. But going a year with almost no thrifting (on account of COVID) gave me pause. Because I didn't want to swap out second hand for new, yet kids kept growing, mugs kept breaking, clothes kept tearing. Mostly, we avoided buying things like clothes and home goods during 2020, but needs/wants did arise, and we found workarounds to buying new.

I shared this photo in my stories yesterday with the caption "more sustainable stuff", and shared where each item pictured came from. Nothing was purchased new except my socks, and all of it was given new life by landing in our home.

When we wanted an area rug for our living room, I was hoping to avoid buying new for a laundry list of reasons. So I posted to our local free group and a neighbor gave us the one pictured. I'm absolutely smitten by it! My boots (@duckfeetusa) were found gently used on eBay. My wool socks came from a discount store many years ago, and they've since been many times mended (using the technique taught in @thefarwoods book, Mending Life). My velvet leggings came from the thrift store pre-covid, and my wool dress is homemade from fabric I bought from the small, independent seller @hobbyfabric (I'll share a proper picture of the dress soon, if you'd like).

Sewing my own clothes again has made me reevaluate how many pieces I really need in my closet. The notion of a minimilistic collection is speaking strongly to me right now–just a few handmade or thrifted pieces that I truly adore. Items I take excellent care of, treasure, and love. After spending a month abroad with only four outfits, I know how very little we truly need.

I asked you all how you reduce the impact of the things you own, & I got dozens of replies! I've shared a few in my stories this morning. I hope they inspire you to lighten your footprints as well.

What do you struggle with when it comes to being more sustainable in your purchasing? Is it a struggle, a welcome challenge, or both?

Lemon, lavender, and yarrow digestive bitters? Yes

Lemon, lavender, and yarrow digestive bitters? Yes, please.

You said you wanted a recipe, and here it is. Swipe left, or head to the blog for a more detailed version. Do you make a habit of drinking bitters? What’s in your favorite formula?

Foraging parsnips I headed out to the garden befo

Foraging parsnips

I headed out to the garden before the rain with a shovel, my gloves, and curiosity. I lacked a as plan, but knew there were beds to prep and weeds to clear before we could sow.

I didn’t expect to spontaneously dig 10 lbs of sweet, succulent wild parsnip from a retired hugelkultur bed, but here we are.

Wild (invasive + photo toxic) parsnip is no different than the parsnips you’d buy at the store. Sure, they might not look as refined, but what they lack in uniformity they make up in flavor and expense.

Here in Wisconsin, wild parsnips cause no shortage of mischief and misery. On sunny days, bruising their leaves against your skin (say by hiking through a patch) can result in abundant fluid-filled blisters. We first learned about parsnip some 17 years ago when Pete cleared a patch that towered above his head one August day. He was shirtless and in shorts, and cleared them with a brush cutter. It was horrific.

But if you’re thoughtful in your harvest (and leave the weed whacker at home), in early spring the freshly foraged roots are absolutely delicious.

See my story highlights for how to ID parsnip if you’d like to dig your own, or if you’re local, please come over! We’ve acres of the stuff just waiting for you.

Nettles are up! Each year I excitedly await the fi

Nettles are up! Each year I excitedly await the first tender nettles of the season. And we always enjoy them in the same way: a big pot of vibrant nettle soup (photo in my stories). In early spring, I honestly can't get enough of this green wonder, and I question how I got by before I knew of all the goodness this common plant ally contains.

My first book, Herbal Adventures, contains loads of information on identifying, harvesting, and enjoying my favorite of all the "weeds". Though my book is out of print, I've got a good supply of copies on hand and we're planting two trees for each copy sold! 🌳🌲

From nettle soup to nettle hair rinse, nettle oxymel to overnight infusion (my daily multi), I've got you covered with all of my go-to recipes.

Find it through the link in my bio. What’s your experience with nettles? 🌱

Thank you all so much for your beautiful and heart

Thank you all so much for your beautiful and heartfelt reflections on my last post.

Since a few of you asked, no, I’m not planning on disappearing. I’m simply reevaluating how and why I reach out, as well as the virtues and shadows of this space.

Some of you inspired me to consider dusting off my old blog, or exploring other, slower and more intentional avenues to connect, so a heartfelt thanks for that! It seems many of us are craving deeper, more authentic connections—now more than ever. I’ll mull over what that might look like, and share thoughts as they arise.

In other news: the nettles are up! Whoot!
Happy Sunday, lovelies. 💙

Hello, friend. What a long, quiet spell this has b

Hello, friend. What a long, quiet spell this has been! Truthfully, social media is... a little weird for me these days. Is it weird for you? Or wonderful? Or something in between?

I do wish instead of sharing soundbites here, we could gather in the woods around a crackling fire, to share tea, + exchange stories in a proper, old-fashioned sort of way. That we could take a walk and gather nettles together, + chat about how much we both love spring. But instead, here we are, behind these screens. There's goodness in it, to be sure. It's just that I'm struggling to pick up my device every day to keep in touch.

I haven't been called to spend much time in this space for nearly half a year. It’s no longer the regular part of my rhythm it once was. And I've been reflecting on the purpose this space serves for us all, and how that's balanced out by the drawbacks we can often feel when we come here day after day, seeking inspiration or distraction (or both).

I started blogging weekly when my kids were 2 and 6. Soon I getting up early and writing daily, sharing stories and photographs of our messy, imperfect, authentic life. And what a delight that was! I did SO enjoy blogging. Through that world, I found a vast community of like-minded mamas, found purpose and meaning as a teacher once again, and discovered my voice as a writer and photographer.

Times changed, + blogging morphed into social media, + here we are. My kids are 14 + 18. Life is so different now.

And day after day, I find myself called here less and less. For a while I was showing up because I thought that I should, but as I near my 48th birthday, I just can't make myself "should" anymore. Life is too precious for that.

And the time I once blocked off in my calendar for writing, I'm spending on long walks through these hills. I'm watching the sandhill cranes as they wing home from the sea, filling the valley with their prehistoric calls. I'm listening to the arguments of the redwinged blackbirds as they negotiate their territory lines beside our vast, boggy marsh. I'm laughing aloud with delight at the first, squeaky exhalations of the spring peepers as they peek {continued}...

And just like that, it was winter once again.

And just like that, it was winter once again.

Fleeting (2013) There are days when I ache with t

Fleeting (2013)

There are days when I ache with this truth.

I feel it in the marrow of my bones.

Clear into my soul.

Because I know.

These days are fleeting.

Nothing lasts forever.

Not the sleepless nights of a newborn nor the angst of a pre-teen.

Not the sweet milky smile of a baby nor the quick humor or this half-grown child.

Our life has become this pile of snapshots and in each photo I can see you growing up.

Sometimes it feels so fast I can scarcely breathe.

No, nothing lasts forever.

And so I look around and wonder where the time has gone.

It turns out that "this too shall pass," my motto on the hardest days, applies to everyday.

And suddenly I don't want to squander a moment.

Today is fleeting.

And I wonder when my son will be as tall as me.

And when my daughter will no longer curl in my lap and kiss my cheeks.

I wonder at how much longer my arms will be the welcome nest that my children flock to, encircling them as they sleep.

And when they will finally pull away.

And so tonight I will lay beside you until you are soundly dreaming, just in case I wake tomorrow to discover that you've grown up.

I will listen to your breathing and remember the days when you were small and sometimes it seemed so hard.

And I wonder why it seemed so hard.

In the darkness I promise myself to lead with my heart.

Always.

To lead with compassion.

Starting now.

I promise myself to stop wasting time speaking words I will regret.

I imagine this life with children grown, off to write their own stories and live their own adventures.

And while my mind delights in them finding their wings, my heart weeps at the suggestion.

And there is that ache again.

Perhaps that ache is love.

True, full, indescribable love. The kind that you didn't know existed until you had children of your own.

The kind you can't explain now because language is inadequate.

The kind of love you whisper into small, sleeping ears because you just need them to know what is unknowable.

This much love. (cont. in comments...)

More favorites for springtime fun (from my newest

More favorites for springtime fun (from my newest book, The Unplugged Family Activity Book): Wild and Tame Tea Sandwiches! We had so ridiculously much fun on the day we shot these photos just two springs back. Wild pesto (mad with backyard weeds) in tiny fingertip sandwiches, and tea in fancy old tea cups with a gaggle of Lupine’s favorite friends...

Sigh... I can’t wait until we can gather again! In the meantime, these foraged treasures are perfect for an outdoor, distanced gathering with your quaran-team!

What spring projects and recipes from the pages of the #unpluggedfamilyactivitybook are you digging as the snow melts?

P.S. THANK YOU for buying my book this past year! Launching during a pandemic was, er, challenging. But you made it a success regardless. You’re the best.

P.P.S. I have books available in my shop, and I plant two trees for each copy sold. Take that, Amazon. Whoot!

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