I recently spent a night at a hotel with an outdoor saltwater soaking pool. I didn’t see much of the hotel itself because I could not convince my body that there was even one good reason to leave the buoyant 102°F saltwater paradise. I braided my hair ahead of time with the—in hindsight ridiculous—idea that maybe I could keep it dry, but by the time I finally conceded I needed to go to bed, it was thoroughly wet. So I toweled it dry-ish, ran a brush through it, and fell into bed for a deep, restful sleep. I woke up in the morning to voluminous hair that had fabulous waves. As I stood in front of the mirror blinking in confusion, it dawned on me that I had inadvertently given my hair a sea salt treatment… which reminded me that I could do this at home for significantly less money with DIY sea salt hair spray!

The art of essential oil blending is a delicate and thoughtful process that I often compare to the individual layers added to a painting. Just as each brush stroke on a canvas gradually builds on the layer of paint underneath to create a harmonious result, crafting essential oil blends applies the same principle. In the world of perfumery and essential oil blending, the three commonly recognized “paint” layers are known as fragrance notes, which encompass top notes, middle notes, and base notes. At the foundation of these blended layers, you will find base notes.

If there are three things that I love, they are sweets, botanicals, and Star Trek. Did I ever think I would be party to a recipe that would marry those things together? Not really, and to be fair, the Star Trek involvement in this recipe is pretty nonexistent. (However, if any Next Generation fans are reading this, I think you will appreciate the reference.) In all seriousness, we already know that sweets and botanicals go hand in hand, and we are always trying to find creative ways to combine the two. We recently stumbled upon this classic Mountain Rose Herbs caramel sauce recipe and could not resist bringing it back. Earl Grey fans to the front of the class, please! This recipe is for you.

This year, I set out to create a natural skin care treatment for my dull and dry winter skin. So I took to my crafting space to work on a mask and scrub that was brightening and cleansing. After several iterations, I created one that I’m quite excited about, and I think you all are going to enjoy it, too.

In a world where every action leaves a mark, the question isn't whether we make an impact but rather how we make an impact. Enter the realm of “impact reports”— a transparent lens where companies provide a comprehensive overview of their operations, initiatives, and contributions. It's not just about the triple bottom line — it's about revealing the full scope of their footprint. This transparency helps bridge the gap between intention and action, ensuring companies build strong relationships by following through with commitments to responsible business practices.

I love a good Irish coffee. The conundrum, however, is that I generally limit my daily caffeine consumption to a morning espresso and I don’t want whiskey for breakfast, so it’s hard to figure out when to have said Irish coffee. St. Patricks Day is almost here and I'll be getting together in the afternoon with my coffee-loving friends and family, which will include traditional, festive Irish coffee. Happily, my talented mixologist of a husband recently got inspired by a tin of Mountain Rose Herbs herbal coffee. I wasn’t sure what he was up to tinkering away in the kitchen, and then he came out with this creamy glass of pure ambrosia. Although I am not generally an all-caps kind of woman, this herbal Irish coffee recipe is, OMG SO GOOD. Bonus: I can drink a glass in the evening and still get a good night’s sleep.

There has been a lot of buzz lately around DIY and natural hair care. In the previous weeks, we've shared no-poo recipes, DIY hair rinses, and fermented rice water treatments. A perfect pairing to all those homemade hair care products is having a dry shampoo to get you in between "washes."

Nowadays, we are all aware of the term “organic,” but what does that really mean in the world of agriculture? Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a film screening of “Organic Rising,” the first feature-length documentary to demystify organic agriculture for the consumer. This event was organized by several Oregon nonprofits, followed by a panel discussion with the film director. I am excited to share groundbreaking insights and community reflections with you.

It’s the time of year when I’m working my way through the last of our stored root vegetables and winter squash looking for ways to extend their lifespan and nutrition. With this in mind, I spent an afternoon last weekend hasselbacking. In its simplest form, hasselbacking is a special cutting method for raw vegetables (also some fruits and even bread) before roasting. The most common version is Hasselback potatoes: the Potato à la Hasselbacken or, in Swedish, hasselbackspotatis. The glory of this cutting/cooking method is that it allows you to get flavorful fats and your favorite herbs and spices down inside the food so all that deliciousness gets roasted in. Plus, hasselbacking makes your food so pretty!

Here at Mountain Rose Herbs, we stand for a future in which domestic, diversely-owned farms thrive, growing organic herbs and becoming more resilient each year by sustainably adapting to changing climates. What’s needed to make this dream come true is a just, regenerative agriculture system that truly supports and values farmers. Last week, I had the opportunity to join 800 farmers and producers at our local university’s Small Farms Conference to learn how to make this future a reality. 

Whether your unique mane coils into bouncy ringlets, twists into wild waves, or cascades down as straight as a pin, you’ve undoubtably experienced bad hair days. On too many occasions to count in my life, I’ve stumbled out of bed in the morning and glanced into the mirror to find a sight only explainable by a bird crafting a nest out of my frazzled locks overnight. After reaching for every fancy spritz and spray buried in my cabinets, I’d more often than not be left with relatively tamed frizz, greasy roots, and a wafting heavy perfume fragrance that was less than desirable. Inevitably, I would succumb to the classic slicked-back ponytail or throwing my mop of hair under a big hat on days such as these.