Blog | Page 5 of 8 | ARealGreenLife

The Commons, Common Sense, and a Common Field of Consciousness

August 30, 2021

21st century science now finally agrees with Eastern philosophy and Indigenous wisdom that we share a common field of consciousness. It’s hidden in plain site, all around us all the time. It’s even more under-appreciated and under-utilized than the other forms of “the commons” that we share.

The Commons, Common Sense, and a Common Field of Consciousness

Let’s Choose a More Empowering Story

August 23, 2021

Our ancestors’ ingenuity and know-how kept them alive for untold generations – long enough for us to come along. Everything they knew is still available to us. We’re just not using it because it’s gone missing from the stories we tell ourselves.

Let’s Choose a More Empowering Story

2 Ways to Preserve Leafy Greens From Your Veggie Garden

August 8, 2021

Here are two ideas for preserving leafy greens. The first is a bit of an experiment. The second is a tried and true favorite in my kitchen.

2 Ways to Preserve Leafy Greens From Your Veggie Garden

Irrigation for our Modular Veggie Garden

August 2, 2021

Long, flexible mulberry branches + pieces of old veggie net = caterpillar-proofed veggies.

Irrigation for our Modular Veggie Garden

The Cycle of Life

July 25, 2021

Introducing the metaphorical “seasons” of birth/emergence, growth, full bloom, harvest, decay, death, and re-emergence. We misunderstand the seasons of decay and death, so we go to extraordinary lengths to avoid them – which means we miss out on the gifts of inner growth they have to offer.

The Cycle of Life

7 Steps to a Frog Pond that Also Grows Food

July 11, 2021

How to build a pond for tadpoles and frogs that will also grow food-producing water plants and edge plants. Includes diagrams, pictures, plant list, and frog resources.

7 Steps to a Frog Pond that Also Grows Food

The 3 Skill Sets We Need for a Kinder Culture

July 4, 2021

There are 3 core skill sets that I believe can help us live together in more compassionate, just, sustainable, and enjoyable ways. I call them: Internal Self-parenting Skills, Sustainable Living Skills, and Relationship Skills.

The 3 Skill Sets We Need for a Kinder Culture

How to Make a Frame for a Veggie Net using Mulberry Branches

June 15, 2021

Long, flexible mulberry branches + pieces of old veggie net = caterpillar-proofed veggies.

How to Make a Frame for a Veggie Net using Mulberry Branches

Modular Veggie Growing with Cut Off Barrels

June 14, 2021

Ideas for modular gardening — smaller, easier, more enjoyable.

Modular Veggie Growing with Cut Off Barrels

The Stick, the Carrot, and the Gift

April 27, 2021

Most of us, most of the time, do the things we do for stick, carrot, or avoidance reasons. But to really thrive, we need to do things for gift reasons.

The Stick, the Carrot, and the Gift

The Stevia Dilemma

April 9, 2021

Some of what you might want to know before choosing if and how you’ll use stevia-based sweeteners, along with tips on growing and using your own stevia plants.

The Stevia Dilemma

Seeing Through the Seductions of Science and Technology

March 22, 2021

The ease and comfort of a modern life aren’t all they were cracked up to be in terms of deep satisfaction and a sense of meaning and purpose.

Seeing Through the Seductions of Science and Technology

The People’s Medicine

March 7, 2021

Home-based herbal medicine is an easy, accessible practice. Here are 9 quotes from herbalists about the oldest and simplest medicine in the world — so simple, a child can do it.

The People’s Medicine

Transitioning from Toxic to Natural

February 28, 2021

Switching from synthetic personal care products to simple, natural alternatives means giving up superficial attributes like foam, fragrance, and texture, which are achieved using toxic ingredients. This article explores how we got so dependent on these products and shares 3 ideas we can rely on in our efforts to get back to natural.

Transitioning from Toxic to Natural

Essential Oils: Some Things to Consider

February 22, 2021

Essential oils are highly concentrated and extremely powerful, are harvested and processed on an industrial scale, have big impacts on plants and communities, and should be used sparingly, with caution and respect.

Essential Oils: Some Things to Consider

Nature’s Original Toothbrush

February 14, 2021

Tooth cleaning did not begin with plastic toothbrushes or medieval concoctions. We’ve been cleaning our teeth since probably before we walked upright on two legs. Here’s how it was done (and in many parts of the world, still is).

Nature’s Original Toothbrush

Yarrow for Oral Care

February 1, 2021

How I came to swear by yarrow (Achillea millefolium) for oral health care and particularly for gum health.

Yarrow for Oral Care

Yarrow for Wound First Aide

February 1, 2021

The herb yarrow (Achillea millefoleum) has many uses. Its particularly well known for its ability to quickly stop blood loss and help heal wounds.

Yarrow for Wound First Aide

Regenerative Farming and Gardening

November 30, 2020

Regenerative gardening and farming has an intention to both feed people AND to leave the surrounding web of life stronger, richer, more complex and more resilient, rather than less so.

Regenerative Farming and Gardening

Building Ecosystems as a Side-Effect of Growing Food

November 21, 2020

This post uses a pumpkin patch to illustrate how interrelated elements in a vegetable garden, an orchard, or any living system, are healthier and happier than isolated fragments of life existing alone.

Building Ecosystems as a Side-Effect of Growing Food

Hi. I'm Kate.

I'm a wrangler of anxiety, overwhelm, and insomnia; a nature lover; a homeschooling mother; and many other things besides.

I believe that sincere intentions count and that Everything is connected -- so caring for anything is caring for Everything.

I advocate for individual, family, and community empowerment; real, local food; simple, healthy living; stronger connections to ourselves, each other, and nature.