
Healthy Earth, Healthy You

Five Steps to Staying Healthy
Right now everyone is worried about the Corona Virus (COVID-19) outbreak. But as many have pointed out, the flu is more widespread that COVID-19 and causes more deaths every year. Both the flu and COVID-19 are especially deadly for those with compromised immune systems. So it’s important that, Corona or not, flu-season or not, we…

This has almost nothing to do with Provident Living
But I wanted to share with you anyway. My first video Yesterday I edited and saved my first video and I uploaded my first video to You Tube. If you just knew what a total technology klutz I am, you would know that this is really a BIG deal.sual creature busily gathering food. So here’s…

Top Ten Reasons to Garden
Save money A garden starts with a modest investment of just a few dollars in seeds. But it gives you hundreds of pounds of fresh fruits and veggies. And if you preserve the surplus produce you’ll get even more. If you are willing to do a bit of canning, freezing or dehydrating, you can provide…

Get Cultured
Cultured dairy is a great way to get calcium into your diet as well as introduce health-promoting probiotics. When we talk about cultured dairy everyone thinks of yogurt. Unfortunately, many of the flavored yogurts in the store no longer contain live cultures. So you might be getting the taste of yogurt but you’re not getting…

The Pleasure of Growing Herbs
After my vegetable garden, the thing I am most proud of (and get the most pleasure from) is my herb garden. I love using herbs in cooking and I love herbal tea. But buying fresh herbs can be expensive and the selection is often limited. So I grow a variety of herbs to use in…

Simplify
Your goal this month is to simplify. That’s it. Just. Simplify. Stuff costs more than money People are beginning to recognize the emotional, spiritual and financial weight of consumerism. That is why there is a surge in blogs, Facebook pages and websites that encourage and extol minimalism and non-consumerism. There are several ways to meet…

Pamper Your Plants
As you nurture your plants along from seedling to full-grown plant, your plants may encounter some rough spots or bumps along the road. You can help your plants along and encourage them to grow bigger and stronger with a little foliar feeding. Why foliar feeding? The leaves of plants are amazing things. Their primary function…

What’s so great about biodiversity?
Monoculture vs. Biodiversity 100 years ago, farmers fostered biodiversity on their farms. Always at the mercy of the weather, they would plant several varieties of wheat or corn in the hopes that one (or more) would survive whatever Mother Nature dealt out. They would plant cover crops to suppress weeds and increase soil fertility. They…

Quarantine Part Two: Isolation
Be sure to read Part 1: Preparing for a Quarantine When a quarantine is in place A quarantine will be much less stressful if you have prepared ahead of time, making sure that you have supplies on hand and are knowledgeable about caring for the sick. Here are some things that will help you get…

Stay Healthy!
[Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. These are just my observations and experiences. Your experience may be different. You should always consult with a reliable health care professional when treating any illness.] It’s the cold and flu season and already too many of my friends have been stricken. I hope you get out of…

Prepare for Winter Illnesses
This is the season of coughs, colds and bugs. Take steps now to prevent winter bugs from taking you down and be prepared when they do. Prevent illnesses: Wash your hands. Frequently. Most winter illnesses can be avoided with proper hand washing. And don’t rush. Wash with soap and running water, scrubbing for at least…

(Almost) FREE Coldframes
Garden veggies in April? How would you like to be eating fresh vegetables a full 4-6 weeks before the rest of your fellow gardeners? You can with cold frames. What’s a cold frame? Basically, it’s a mini greenhouse that helps warm the soil and protect plants during the cold transitioning months of early spring and late…

Pesky Pests and What to Do About Them
One of the main reasons I garden is to provide fresh, tasty and chemical-free food for my family. But it seems like the bugs and pests are determined to thwart me at every turn. When you see your broccoli covered in green worms or cabbage moths have destroyed your cabbage, it’s enough to make you…

Book Review: Make Your Own Beauty Products
I know, I know. Making your own personal care, beauty products or cosmetics is just a little too much, even for an avid do-it-yourselfer. But it really is fun. And it’s pretty easy, too. Here are two books that have really inspired me: The first is Organic Body Care: 175 Homemade Herbal Formulas for Glowing…

Is it Really Worth It?
Many people are becoming more concerned about the chemicals found in most health and beauty products. But is it really worth it make your own personal care items? What are the risks? It’s probably no surprise that there are lots of chemicals in most of the cleaning and personal care products in your home. Some…

Build Emotional and Spiritual Self-Reliance
“If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.” It’s clear that being prepared for the mishaps and disasters that often befall us fosters a sense of calm and well-being. We’ve spent all year preparing for just this reason: so that we need not fear an unforeseen crisis. And then come the holidays. This time of…