HEADSPACE
🌿 Grounding into Spring

🍃As spring unfolds here in the Pacific Northwest, it's a time to rejuvenate our bodies from winter heaviness and reconnect with nature's emerging bounty. This week let's immerse ourselves  in the season's offerings through wild plant foraging and wildcrafting, aromatherapy for our indoors spaces, and mindful practices that will propel our motivation.☀️

📰In this edition 🌱Mineral Rich Oil & Vinegar🌱Sprig aroma blends to cut thru fog🌱journal prompts & breath work🌱

HOME
🌿 Spring Aromatherapy: Invigorate Your Senses

🧹Harness the fresh, uplifting scents of spring to invigorate your living space: Essential Oil Blends

• Spring Fir Breeze: With its crisp, woody aroma, Douglas Fir brings the essence of the forest forests indoors, promoting clarity and focus. 6 parts citrus, 5 parts fir needle, 4 parts lavender, 1 part clove (optional)

• Lavender and Mint Blend: Combine the calm of lavender with refreshing mint for a balanced atmosphere scent that soothes and revitalizes. blend equal parts

DIY Tip: create a room spray by mixing them with distilled water in a spray bottle.

DIY
🍊 DIY Foraging: Crafting Mineral-Rich Spring Oil and Vinegar

Some recipes call this "fairy tonic" I surmise this name is because it's difficult to feel anything but light and magical when discovering new flowers and fresh little buds emerging. This is a great foraging project for children, nurturing care and wonder into their little hearts. These simple infusions will serve as the base for recipes to come. Here are a few fairly common backyard herbs (weeds to some), combine or omit based on what you find. 

ingredients:

• Violet, leaf and flowers (Viola spp.)

• Dandelion, leaf and flowers (Taraxacum officinale)

• Stinging nettles, leaf (Urtica dioica)

• Cleavers, leaf and stem (Galium aparine)

• Chickweed, herb (Stellaria media)

• Plantain, leaf (Plantago spp.)

• Purple dead nettle, leaf and flowers (Lamium purpureum)

• Infused Oil: fresh wilt half your finds ( save the other half for your vinegar ) Once wilted fill a jar halfway, cover with best quality organic olive oil, and let it sit in a sunny spot for 2 weeks. Watch for condensation and wipe away with a clean dry cloth. At the end of 2 weeks strain into a fresh sterile jar thru cheese cloth. You can use the oil immediately as a topper and dressing. Store excess in the refrigerator.

• Spring Tonic Vinegar: coarsely chop your herbs, place them in a jar, and completely cover with apple cider vinegar. Allow the mixture to infuse for 4-6 weeks before straining. Take with food to increase mineral absorption and lessen issues with digestion and tooth enamel that vinegar can aggravate.

Safety Note: Always properly identify plants before use and consult a reliable foraging guide.

DIY Balm of Gilead Recipe: Nature's Soothing Salve

Balm of Gilead, derived from cottonwood buds, is renowned for its healing properties:

Ingredients:

• Cottonwood buds

• Olive oil

Instructions:

1. Fill a glass jar halfway with cottonwood buds.

2. Pour olive oil over the buds until fully submerged.

3. Let the mixture infuse up to a year, stirring occasionally.

Usage: Apply to minor cuts, bruises, or dry skin for its soothing effects.

SHORT & SWEET
 🍃 Simple Breathwork: Continuing our Alignment with Spring's Rhythm

Continue healing and restoring movement by breathing along with this season's renewal :

• 4-4-4-4 Breathing: Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, exhale for 4 counts, and hold for 4 counts. Repeating this several rounds will promote relaxation and presence.

• Nature Visualization: As you breathe deeply, visualize the blooming landscapes, fostering a connection with nature's awakening.

🍃 Journal Prompts: Reflecting on Spring's Awakening

• What aspects of spring resonate most with you, and how can you incorporate them into your daily life?

• Reflect on a past experience of foraging or connecting with nature. What did you learn, and how did it impact you?

• Set an intention for this spring season to deepen your relationship with the natural world, even if you are indoors most of the time.

LOOKING AHEAD
April's Home-Based Foraging and Crafting

• Looking Ahead: April's Home-Based Foraging and Crafting

  In our upcoming April issues, I plan to delve into:

  • Indoor Herb Gardening: How to cultivate culinary and medicinal herbs indoors in spaces with low light.

  • Wild Greens Cooking: Exploring recipes using more foraged greens like chickweed and nettles.

  • Natural Dyeing with Plants: Learn how to use foraged materials to create beautiful, natural dyes for egg dyeing.

  Stay tuned for these enriching activities to further connect with nature from the comfort of your home.

  Embrace the vitality of spring, and let the natural wonders inspire your journey toward well-being and connection.

Huckleberry Homepage
Follow the progress

visit the Huckleberry Home & Hardware Home Page (that’s a lot of H’s…) as I build. email suggestions or requests to [email protected]

✨ Weekly Gratitude Reminder

Take a moment this week to write down three things you're grateful for each day. Let gratitude nurture your connection to the spring season.

Happy Spring, S