When I moved from my home state of New Jersey to beautiful Oregon, I was exposed to so many new things. Among my favorite discoveries were the abundant, handwritten road signs that advertised fresh local produce, eggs, and honey. Intrigued and excited by these signs, I stopped in to meet my local neighborhood beekeeper, who was thrilled that I knocked on his door to say hello. He brought me over to his hives and taught me a lot about what it means to care for bees. I wanted to support my farm neighbor, so I bought a gallon of honey. What I was going to do with that much honey, I had yet to figure out.

I first encountered jojoba oil about 10 years ago, and I have loved it ever since. Used alone or blended with my favorite cosmetic butters and oils, jojoba is a body care dynamo! The qualities of this oil are very similar to the sebum produced by our skin to help it stay moisturized, making a noncomedogenic (non-pore-clogging) option with a wide range of natural self care applications.

Glazed popcorn and autumnal weather are a perfect match, and I dared to enhance the experience by adding everyone’s favorite fall flavor—pumpkin pie spice! There’s no snack better to pass around a backyard bonfire with my friends while telling our favorite stories from summer.

With the start of autumn come vibrantly colored leaves, cooler temperatures, and the ubiquitous pumpkin-pie-spiced-everything! But you don’t have to trek to the nearest coffee shop or ice cream parlor to enjoy this seasonal taste treat—you can savor this flavor in the comfort of your own kitchen. With Mountain Rose Herbs’ organic pumpkin pie spice blend, you can easily craft your own seasonal creations at home.

Experience the 100+ years of history behind our organic hops from a third-generation Oregon farming family, from harvest through processing!

If you enjoy exploring new additions to your home spa routine, you may have already encountered sheet masks. This trending skincare innovation came to prominence with the arrival of K-Beauty in the Western world and has rapidly gained international popularity as a fast and simple way to enjoy some indulgent self care.

There is a growing recognition on the part of conscientious consumers about the sources of the botanical products they purchase, both in regard to where their favorite herbs come from and how their own purchasing behaviors impact environmental sustainability. This increasing awareness that there are people and places tied to every item we buy involves not just knowing where a botanical comes from, but also acknowledging the context in which it is harvested.

Who doesn’t love a good massage? Whether it’s performed by the hands of a skilled professional or the one you love (both, if you’re lucky!), a little added massage oil can help work out the tension. Another bonus is that a natural, nourishing massage oil can also act as a skin-supporting moisturizer for your back—an area which we sometimes neglect due to the flexibility required to reach it on our own!

The Federal Courthouse in Springfield, Massachusetts is a large modern building with an entire edifice of glass facing the street. With its “cascading concave roof gracefully framing the space in a delicate shell of steel and glass,” the courthouse is an imposing sight. But even more impressive than this wall of steel and glass are the two ancient trees that the courthouse was obviously built to accommodate. The glass walls literally curve around a huge old copper beech that looks like it’s been standing there for centuries and the largest Tillia europa, or linden tree, that I’ve ever seen. It’s apparent that the architects took these trees into account when planning and building this courthouse. I later learned that indeed, the designers felt that “their presence was too powerful to ignore,” and the preservation of these trees “was a key element in the design proposal that emerged” for the courthouse.

From the experienced herbalist to the casual home cook, most folks have some experience with the common ginger root. While this spicy yellow rhizome has its origins in Southeast Asia, it has been cultivated for millennia and is now widely available across the world. Ginger is an indispensable ingredient in culinary pursuits and folk medicine, traditionally used to support concentration, ease nausea, and soothe occasional stress, fatigue, and anxiety. Here, I am going to focus on the aroma-therapeutic aspects of this alluring plant.

Herbal salves are such a simple, effective, and useful way to take in herbal goodness! They can easily be slipped into a purse, pocket, or first aid kit. Although semi-solid at room temperature, salves soften once applied to the skin, making them less messy than oils. They also make great gifts and are an easy and approachable way to introduce newbies to the power of herbs. Plus, salves can be crafted for a wide variety of topical uses. The addition of beeswax will protect, soothe, and nourish your skin.