Many years ago perched on a damp wooded hillside while mushroom foraging, I was struck with a simple yet profound lesson: Nature’s diversity is its might. Quietly kneeling on a soft bright green moss to closely observe the tiny fruiting body of a local fungi species, I felt hope.

At Mountain Rose Herbs we work hard every year to maintain the TRUE Zero Waste Certification. Our goal is to reduce our environmental footprint and be leaders in responsible business practices. TRUE stands for Total Resource Use and Efficiency. The program is designed to rate how well a facility performs in maximizing efficient use of resources and reducing material being sent to landfill or incineration (Waste to Energy). 

As the new year approaches, many of us begin to think more about our health and goals. An increasingly popular practice is starting the year with "Dry January," meaning that alcohol is not used for the month of January. Fortunately, if you find yourself wanting to enjoy tasty beverages, you can still experience the social and stress-supporting aspects of drinking with herbal mocktails.

There's a special kind of comfort that comes from a steaming bowl of soup, especially when it's crafted with ingredients designed to support your immune system. Soup can be much more than just a cozy meal; it can be a nourishing elixir packed with essential nutrients. By incorporating herbs and fresh produce, you can create a flavorful dish that not only warms you up but also fortifies your body's defenses. Let's delve into the art of making an immune-supporting soup, blending taste and wellness into one delightful pot. 

It’s that time of the year when I take to my crafting studio and come up with my annual lip balm creation. This time around, I pulled some inspiration from our new seasonal release tea, Mint Patty, and decided to craft a “Mint Chocolate Chip” blend for gift-giving. After all, I have never once gone wrong when combining chocolate and mint!

Some of my fondest memories are centered around shared meals. My fiancé and I host dinners at our home quite frequently, and we find that it’s the little extra efforts we put in that make people feel special and pampered during their visits. One fun thing I started to include on the table are colorful finishing salts. I love to bring the powers and vibrancy of herbs to the dinner table. Not only do finishing salts add fun flavors, but they are also a good conversation piece. Their uncommon beauty piques curiosity and allows me to share my love of herbs when my guests ask, “What’s in the shakers?”

As fallen leaves speckle the ground and the air turns crisper by the day, many of us are reaching for our fuzziest pair of socks, steaming hot beverages, and lighting our favorite candles to savor the essence of the cozy fall season. During this chilly time of year when most of my time is spent indoors, I often wish I could be enveloped by the scent of a misty morning walk through the forest; without needing to bundle up in ten separate layers to stay warm. Luckily, one of my favorite pastimes during the holiday season is making DIY crafts for my loved ones, so capturing the inviting aroma of the forest by dusting off my candle-making supplies was a no-brainer. Introducing—acorn spice candles!

Each holiday season, I create new recipes to give as homemade gifts. My goal is to come up with crafts that are scalable, promote self-care and wellness, and are unique and useful. This year, I decided to create a bath bomb set themed after two of my favorite forces in the sky; the moon and sun. These recipes call upon the calming and reflective aspects of the moon and the uplifting and energy-giving qualities of the sun. Both recipes are created with skin-loving herbs and essential oils to help one settle into a restful slumber or bring more life and energy to the body.  

Each year, when I make my holiday gift list, I aim to meet a set of criteria. Offerings that are thoughtful, personal, and useful are amongst the most important to me. I have generally found that homemade gifts are more appreciated than things I can find in mass quantities at any big box store. Small-batch DIY gifts also allow customization, making them personalized for your beloved recipient. It can also help to keep waste out of landfills.

The holidays have fallen upon us, and what better way to celebrate the season than by gifting the home herbalist in your life with a thoughtful present that inspires their passion for plants? Whether your loved ones are just embarking on their herbal journey or are a seasoned herbalists in their craft, we've put together a holiday gift guide that will offer useful, thoughtful, and sustainable gifts for all types of herbal enthusiasts. From evocative essential oils kits for the aroma-aficionado, Ayurvedic skin care for the enlightened, or gourmet spice blends for the herbal chef, this guide highlights a plethora of unique herb-inspired gift ideas. From the Mountain Rose Herbs family to yours, we wish you a wonderful, joyful, and festive holiday season with the ones you love most.

We have all at one time or another, had the feeling of being stuck in our heads and emotions. This kind of stagnation is a human experience that often results from a trauma; past, present, or anticipated. During the holiday season, this can manifest more easily, so having some herbal allies “on call” can empower us with supportive tools for these times of need.