With the holiday season quickly approaching, it is time to begin thinking about what the holiday spreads will include this year. We always go all-out with hors d’oeuvres in my family, so much so that sometimes we have no room to eat the actual holiday meal, but we continue to overindulge and over prepare anyway. […]
About Becky Jha
Born and raised in rural Connecticut , Becky DeMattia-Jha attended Salve Regina University in Newport, RI, and has her M.Ed. She has been teaching high school English for 15 years and currently resides in Massachusetts with her husband, their two children, and their German Shepherd. She spends her precious summer vacations indulging in passions other than literature: serving as a lactation peer coach, practicing herbal medicine, organic gardening, making natural cleansers and cosmetics, and preparing quick and easy organic recipes for her family. She hopes to share her efficient, chemical-free, eco-conscious, frugal, and simplistic homemaking and homesteading tips with you.
DIY Neem and Mint Toothpaste
November 28, 2016 by Leave a Comment
If you are anything like me, you have a little too much faith in the purchases you make. If you tell me it is natural, I believe it is natural. If you tell me it is organic, I believe it is organic. If you tell me it is healthful, I believe that it is healthful. […]
DIY Coffee Exfoliating Scrub
November 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment
With cold weather comes dry skin. There are so many body scrubs and exfoliating options that deciding what to use on your skin can be completely overwhelming and costly. Why not concoct your own exfoliating scrub with an ingredient you probably already have in your cabinet: coffee? The therapeutic benefits of coffee are renowned in the […]
Halloween Spider Slime
October 20, 2016 by Leave a Comment
If your kids are anything like mine, they cannot get their hands on enough slime! With the month of October upon us, crafts and activities in our home have taking on a spooky spin. Yes, jack-o-lanterns and scarecrows are standard fare, but why not add spidery slime into the seasonal repertoire? Halloween Spider Slime Ingredients […]
Grillin’ and Chillin’: Late Summer Salads
September 20, 2016 by Leave a Comment
As a high school teacher, the end of the summer is both joyous and agonizing. As much as I want to thoroughly enjoy the dog days of summer, thoughts of lesson planning, waking up early, and being back to the daily grind are always on my mind. I had to make a conscious effort to slow […]
Ice Ice Baby
August 29, 2016 by Leave a Comment
With the dog days of summer upon us, heat waves and droughts are the name of the game and everyone is looking for a way to keep cool. If you have a garden, you are also looking for creative ways to use the fruits of your gardening labor. One of the easiest, tastiest, and most […]
Wally World or Bust
August 16, 2016 by Leave a Comment
With summer vacation in full swing, parents across the country are, come hell or high water, busy making memories with their children. Like Clark Griswold, parents taking their children are summer adventures mean business. My family is no different. Each year we take an annual camping trip to New Hampshire. As much as we love […]
The Benefits of Buttermilk
August 2, 2016 by Leave a Comment
I shared a recipe for homemade artisanal butter with you in a previous post, which got me to thinking of also sharing with you the incredibly varied ways you can use buttermilk, the by-product of butter-making, at home. As a natural probiotic, you can drink buttermilk straight-up, getting your Laura Ingalls Wilder on, but I happen […]
DIY Project: Magnetic Slime
July 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Well, it is officially that time of year for chilling out, relaxing, and figuring out ways to keep the kids happy, busy, and occupied on those sunburned or rainy days. While it is super messy and I’ve sacrificed the soles of way too many shoes to the slime and Playdoh gods, the kiddos love the […]
Dance Mom Moments
June 28, 2016 by 1 Comment
I have already revealed that I find the lobby of my daughter’s dance studio to be one of the most stressful and existential crisis-inducing locations in my life. I am routinely consumed with either irritation toward other mothers or with good old-fashioned self-loathing while waiting for my daughter to get her tap and ballet on. […]