The connection between the moon's phases and the menstrual cycle is rooted in various cultures across history. This connection is grounded in the observation of natural rhythms and cycles, which were often personified and mythologized to explain and connect human experience with the divine and natural world. The word menstruation derives from the Latin and Greek word for moon, mene.

For many years, we have celebrated Buy Nothing Day. Founded in Canada in 1992, the Buy Nothing Movement arose in protest of mass consumerism and the throw-away culture that accompanies it. The movement has grown and evolved over the past decades to include more than 65 nations. The biggest shopping day of the year—the day after Thanksgiving, or Black Friday—has become the movement’s international day of protest: Buy Nothing Day. Here at Mountain Rose Herbs, we applaud this effort and wholly support Buy Nothing Day! Overconsumption eats up natural resources and puts our planet in peril. As the Owner and President of Mountain Rose Herbs, I encourage you NOT to shop with us on Friday, November 29, 2024. The fact that we, as a society, have created a national holiday of shopping suggests that our priorities need realignment. Buy Nothing Day is our act of pushback.

Compound butter is believed to be of French origin, though there is no doubt in my mind that herbs have been incorporated into butter and fats long before they were first attributed to fine French cuisine. While butter gets a bad rap for its high fat content, fat is essential for our bodies and like all things in life, it’s about moderation! With compound butter, not only are you adding herbs and spices for flavor, but you are also incorporating the beneficial constituents of those plants into your culinary preparations. Am I insinuating that this is a health-food recipe?Not at all. But I do believe that a balanced diet that includes herbs and spices at every turn is important.

Carrot cake is one of those things in life that you either hate or love. For those who identify with the latter (including myself), there is something so uniquely comforting about the warming spices, complex textures, and subtle earthy sweetness that make carrot cake the truly delectable dessert it is. The one downside to carrot cake is that although the addition of a vegetable may elude the impression of being healthy, it is still a cake after all. But what if you could harness all that beloved carrot cake goodness into a nourishing, satisfying, and convenient grab-and-go snack? Enter—carrot cake breakfast bars!

Vanilla is both unassuming, yet utterly magical. As a child, I remember believing that vanilla was a plain or even boring flavor. Now as an adult, I realize that nothing could be further from the truth. With its delicate and creamy flavor, vanilla is not only enchanting on its own, but it also has the power to draw out and enhance any other flavor that it is paired with. I find myself adding vanilla extract to matcha, hot cocoa, coffee, moon milk, oatmeal, chia pudding, and, of course, almost all my baking projects. With such a variety of uses, it is no wonder that I like to make sure that vanilla extract is well-stocked in my cupboard, which is why I have taken to crafting my own in larger batches. Vanilla extract is surprisingly easy to make at home—all you need is whole vanilla beans, alcohol, and a jar. It also makes an awesome DIY gift!

For over 15 years, Mountain Rose Herbs and Eugene, Oregon-based Cascadia Wildlands have worked hand-in-hand to protect the wild ecosystems of the Cascadia bioregion. This partnership, rooted in a shared commitment to environmental preservation, highlights the importance of sustainable practices and the need for ongoing efforts to safeguard public lands. From supporting local conservation projects to ensuring responsible wildcrafting, Mountain Rose Herbs and Cascadia Wildlands have cultivated a symbiotic relationship that strengthens both organizations and benefits Cascadia’s biodiversity.

As we journey through life, our skin often reflects our inner well-being. With the skin being our largest bodily organ, it’s no wonder environmental and internal factors, such as pollution and stress, greatly influence the appearance of our skin. When counteracting the day-to-day wear and tear on our skin, it’s not often to find a self-care practice that offers an inside-out reset for the skin. Luckily, herbal facial steams are a luxurious, easy, and convenient exception to this. Herbal facial steams encompass an all-in-one aromatherapy, facial care, and sensory relaxation experience that works wonders to rejuvenate tired and dull skin.

Mountain Rose Herbs is honored to work closely with small-scale producers around the world, either directly or through farming cooperatives. Many aspects of farming, wild harvesting, and processing are difficult and prone to outside pressures like natural disasters, market volatility, and climate change. These challenges are why we partner with Fair Trade Certified operations when possible.

Healthy snacks are a staple in any herbal tinkerer’s toolkit. One of my all-time favorites snacks has always been caramel apples! While they get the most hype around Halloween, I’ve created an oh-so-perfect vegan version that is too good to only enjoy for one season per year. This date-based alternative offers the sweetness and consistency of caramel with earthy undertones of mesquite and maca powders. And if there is a way that I like to get my herbs in, it’s blended perfectly in a sweet-treat like this!

Each fall, I add a fresh batch of fire cider to my wellness cabinet. For years, I have (loosely) followed the classic recipe with excellent results, but I wanted more—more vitamins, more minerals, more health benefits! Fire cider is generally an herbal preparation that is used to support the immune system, but since so much of our immune system is affected by diet, I decided to explore the idea of adding more vitamins and minerals to the recipe.

As a person who aims to lead a sustainable lifestyle, I often find myself reflecting on the areas of my life where I can make sustainable swaps for common single-use items. While assessing my self-care routines, I noticed that my shower was the place that I had the most single-use plastic bottles. I also realized that I had the infamous “graveyard” of haircare products that I had tried but which, for one reason or another, hadn’t worked for me. Long story short, it was way more plastic than I was comfortable with having in my otherwise green household.