Rest encompasses much more than just sleep. Are you getting enough?

Trees are a great source of food and nesting places for bees.

Many of these flowers are in season now, or soon to be!

We're having a Spring Sale this week! Be sure to grab a gift for mom + a little something for yourself.

Every 10 seconds, someone in the United States goes to the hospital complaining of head pain. Over one million of these visits are for migraine headaches.

A whopping 12 percent of Americans get migraines, with women disproportionately affected. Roughly one in four women will experience a migraine in her lifetime, and women are three times more likely than men to struggle with migraines.

If you struggle with migraine pain but prefer to avoid conventional medications (or find that they don't work for you), alternative migraine treatments may provide the relief you seek. Here are some of my favorite home remedies for migraines.

Magnesium
Magnesium is a natural calmative, relaxing the muscles and gently dilating blood vessels. It can help get a better night’s sleep (insomnia is a major trigger for migraines) and helps us manage stress more effectively. The Canadian Headache Society gives magnesium a “strong recommendation” for migraine prevention. The recommended dose of magnesium for migraines is 400-600 mg per day.

Ginger
In one study, 100 people suffering from migraines used either 250 mg of ginger or 50 mg of the prescription migraine medicine sumatriptan for one month. The treatments worked equally well, with both groups experiencing 90% decrease in severity within two hours of treatment. The only difference? Ginger was better tolerated.

Riboflavin (vitamin B2) One theory about migraines is that they are caused by mitochondrial dysfunction in brain cells. (Mitochondria are the powerhouses within our cells.) Riboflavin helps maintain normal energy production in brain mitochondria. I generally think of riboflavin for those who have extreme light sensitivity as a trigger for their migraines.

Photosensitivity is actually a sign of riboflavin deficiency. It also receives a “probably effective” rating from the American Headache Society.

Peppermint
Peppermint is a wonderfully simple remedy for all kinds of headaches. Massaging your temples and

If you’ve been out in the woods in your life, you’ve probably eaten, drank, or breathed in DEET, and then been filled with regret. But it might not be forever.

Over the past year, decades of research into essential-oil-based insect repellents have begun to bear fruit. Earlier this month, research on nepetalactone, the active ingredient in catnip, published in the journal Current Biology, demonstrated the power of the chemical to ward off mosquitoes. And last August the EPA approved another essential oil, nootkatone, which usually comes from grapefruit, to be used as a commercially available bug spray.

The push to develop essential-oil based repellents comes as mosquitoes have built up a resistance to synthetic products, says David Price, an urban entomologist with the mosquito control company Mosquito Joe. There’s lots of overlap between the repellents and pesticides used to control mosquito populations that carry diseases like yellow fever and malaria, and bugs are adapting to both.

Lavender is a stress reliever, helps promote deeper sleep, decreases pain and speeds the healing of wounds and infections.

Take Care of Yourself Today!

Little ways to take care of yourself!

It doesn’t take long to get totally freaked out and stressed out of your mind, does it? I swear it happens to me at least once a week. I’m afraid I locked my keys in my car! My wallet’s gone! When these types of daily scares occur, relief usually comes fast once you realize everything’s okay.

But when stressors gain a foothold due to frustrations and overwork on the job or at home, returning to your comfort zone may be a challenge. Walking in nature will help, as will meditation. But taking time for those leisurely de-stressing tactics is not always available.

Luckily, you don’t need a lot of time to regain your composure. Here are 20 de-stressing tactics that each can be performed in 5 minutes or less … some in as little a few seconds!

1. Breathe … Slow, deep breathing for only a few minutes can dramatically decrease tension.
BONUS TIP: The scent of lavender is a proven de-stresser. Mist a Natural Lavender Room Spray for an instant boost of calm.

2. Brush … Stroking your skin with a dry brush stimulates nerve endings, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system and triggers a more relaxed state.

3. Chew … Chewing gum can seem like a nervous habit, but actually it can relax you. A 2008 study at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia, found that chewing reduces the stress hormone cortisol in saliva by 16% during mild stress and nearly 12% during moderate stress.
BONUS TIP: Gum chewing after a meal also helps reduce acid levels in the esophagus and can help prevent acid reflux.

4.Count … Counting numbers gives your mind something neutral to focus on. This diversion can often get you on a more serene track.

5. Discard … Clutter is more common in the 21st century than ever before, and being buried in stuff increases our level of stress hormones. It can overload our senses and even impair our creativity.