HMN Blog - Holistic Moms Network

Seed Starting

March 15, 2023 Gretchen

March is a great time for seed starting for many annual vegetables for most of the US! With seeds you have greater choice of the variety as well as the preparation and care of the plants used to generate your seeds at less cost than purchasing seedlings at a local nursery or farm. There are a few key things to consider when starting seeds. The first is timing! How long do plants take to germinate and grow into a seedling that can be transplanted? When can your plants go in the ground in relation to the last frost date in your area and how long will they take to mature? Working in a spreadsheet or notebook can help you keep […]

No-Till Gardening: Less Work & Healthier Plants

March 15, 2023March 15, 2023 Gretchen

Soil is a living thing, each handful is full of millions of organisms including, bacteria, fungus, viruses, insects and invertebrates. All of these organisms are working together to help the soil replenish itself through decomposing plant material on the surface, helping to build soil structure by holding water and air, and supporting the conversion of minerals in the soil into components plants use to thrive. By using no-till gardening techniques we can support this natural process keeping the soil structure intact. No till methods help our soil thrive and improve over time, growing healthier plants all with less work than traditional methods and can be used as an organic gardening method anywhere from a commercial market garden to a patio […]

Around the Table

February 7, 2023 Gretchen

by Nancy Peplinsky, Founder Holistic Moms Network Above my over-sized dining room table are the words “The fondest memories are made when gathered around the table.” Growing up, my parents were relatively flexible in their parenting style but were strict about always sitting down to dinner as a family. The dinner table was a place not only to enjoy a meal, but a place of connection, conversation, and exploration. My father was ever the scholar and always intellectually curious. As a passionate teacher of the humanities, he brought his interests in art, literature, language, history, and philosophy to the table, quite literally. Dinner conversation could extend hours beyond the completion of a meal, debating life’s great questions, comparing interpretations of […]

DIY Vapor Rub

February 6, 2023February 8, 2023 Gretchen

Create a simple vapor rub to help sniffly noses breathe a little easier and avoid harmful products in commercial blends like petroleum jelly. Please note the use of EOs in this mix that may not be appropriate for children under 3 years. Ingredients 4 tsp beeswax beads 2 T cocoa butter 8 T coconut oil 20 drops each of rosemary, peppermint, and eucalyptus essential oils Directions Melt beeswax and cocoa butter in a double boiler Once melted turn off the heat and add coconut oil and essential oils Pour into a clean glass jar with a tight fitting lid Makes about 3/4 cup Can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 year Ingredient Benefits: Beeswax: the base to […]

Creating a Vision Board

January 17, 2023January 17, 2023 Gretchen

The new year brings thoughts of goals and and visions for the coming months as well as a reflection on what has past. Spending time thoughtfully checking in with yourself, understanding where you are, what you want and setting intentions for the year can be a powerful step towards manifesting those goals into reality. Making a vision board enables you to visualize those goals and by placing it in a prominent spot that you see everyday can help inspire you to take continual small steps resulting in big changes over time! You can use a vision board to focus on just one area of your life, the bigger picture, or specific long or short term goals. Get started by […]

DIY Bone Broth

January 11, 2023January 17, 2023 Gretchen

A warm nutrient rich bone broth is perfect for winter, simple to make at home and cheaply made from scraps you might otherwise compost or discard. Bone broth has ancient roots. It been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 2500 years to support the kidneys and digestive health and Hippocrates, in Greece also recommended it for digestion. Used around the world in different forms, today we recognize it is full of vitamins, minerals, and amino acid loaded gelatin and collagen. Studies suggest this combination can help aid digestion, reduce inflammation, improve sleep, protect your joints, reduce bone density loss and improve skin aging. (sources 1, 2, 3, 4) If you are vegan there are great alternative recipes (here and […]

DIY Beeswax Wraps

December 13, 2022December 13, 2022 Gretchen

A great quick last minute gift that is both useful and environmentally friendly is a beeswax wrap! Gather your supplies: 100% cotton cloth – consider upcycling an old button down shirt, cloth napkins or other similar weight fabric Beeswax – pastilles or shavings from a block Pinking shears or scissors Parchment paper Baking sheets Paintbrush Oven Clothesline and pins to hang to dry Preheat your oven to its lowest setting. While it’s heating up, cut your fabric to the desired size for your beeswax wraps. Pinking shears will help prevent frayed edges but scissors will do! Small 8” square wraps are great for wrapping a cut piece of apple, avocado or cucumber or covering the top of a mason jar. […]

light shining through the pine trees covered in snow

Celebrating Winter Solstice

December 13, 2022 Gretchen

“The winter solstice celebrates the return of hope to our land as our planet experiences the first slow turn toward greater daylight. Soon we will welcome the return of the sun and the coming of springtime. As we do so, let us remember and embrace the positive, enriching aspects of winter’s darkness. Pause now to sit in silence in the darkness of this space. Let this space be a safe enclosure of creative gestation for you.” Excerpt from ‘The Circle of Life’ by Joyce Rupp and Macrina Wiederkehr The winter solstice, the darkest night of the year, is a time of reflection, looking inward and gathering courage and hope to sustain us through the remaining long nights of winter. It […]

Nineteen Years of Gratitude and Community

October 5, 2022October 11, 2022 Gretchen

by Nancy Peplinsky, Holistic Moms Network Founder Parenting can be a lonely job. Raising a child often means putting aside your own desires and choices to dedicate your time to the care of another. In the early days of parenthood the demands can be exhausting. Feeding and caring for your new babe on little sleep and almost no personal space or time can be alienating and exhausting. Among moms we joke that the newborn stage is being “in the trenches”. Showering, ha! Getting dressed? Makeup? Laundry? Nope. “Is it like this for everyone? Why is it so hard?, we ask ourselves. We get enveloped in a fog of sleeplessness and exhaustion. Waves of challenges lie ahead – weaning, schooling, behavioral […]

Apathy and Hope

August 15, 2022August 16, 2022 Gretchen

These past few years have certainly been challenging times. Political strife, violence, climate disasters, and the pandemic have all been just too much for many of us. Closing ourselves to the world in crisis is a common reaction, but when we sequester ourselves away we become disconnected and even apathetic, whether that is driven by indifference, overwhelm, or fear. Instead of responding to issues that concern us, instead of taking action, we shut down. The danger of this is that it allows those who seek to continue unhealthy patterns to make progress…