herbal roots giveaway

i'm giving away a sweet tiffin container over at herbal roots zine. see the actual entry for how to sign up to win. this giveaway is thanks to the generous donation of jerry at importfood.com. check out all the great things he has over there such as the granite mortar and pestles (i've purchased several in different sizes for my self and gifts over the years), wooden cutting boards, tiffin containers plus anything thai food related.

chance to win a copy of wildcraft!

this week at herbal roots zine, i'm giving away a copy of wildcraft! head over there and sign up now...

progressive pioneer giveaway

this week, the progressive pioneer is featuring herbal roots zine and luna herb co (my herbal product line) in a great calendula themed giveaway! head on over for a chance to get a copy of calendula (august 09) plus my cale-comfrey salve, baby oil, spicy soap and rose calendula lotion!

new giveaway at herbal roots zine!

isn't this butterfly sweet? sign up for a chance to have it flutter into your life at herbal roots zine.

please don't forget!

after tonight, herbal roots' blog will change to: herbalrootszine.blogspot.com

be sure to check back tomorrow morning to see who won this month's pendant giveaway and to sign up for the new giveaway.

rainy days and mondays always get me down

it's a rainy day and monday...i'm feeling karen carpenter's pain.

on a more cheery note, i'm doing another giveaway over at herbal roots! this week is for a plantain pendant made by my good friend rebekah. come check it out!

i have so many things i could be doing outside but the rain is discouraging that. paths need mulching, weeds need weeding, water pond needs digging, laundry needs hanging...but once again, rain, rain, rain. i'm sorry, did we move to the pacific nw and i slept through the move or something?! seriously. i am not cut out for this non-stop gloominess week after week.

alas, instead, i am stuck in the house with 4 kids who will want my non-stop attention today while i try to declutter some areas that seriously need it. and working on herbal roots, a good rainy day project.

i seriously wish i didn't have to sleep so i could be more productive.

i hear the weeds growing 10' tall out there while the vegetables cower. what is up with that?!

hop on over...

to herbal roots and sign up for a chance to win this adorable toad handcrafted by mamaroots!

and if you haven't already, check out the latest edition of herbal roots! it's all about plantain and has even more fun activities packed in there!

another chance!

mamaroots (the very talented mama who makes the critters for my giveaways), is going to give one lucky person a copy of june's edition of herbal roots! hurry on over and sign up for a chance to win! the contest closes on saturday at midnight.

congrats!

today we drew names to win the dandelion pendant and next month's free copy at herbal roots! congratulations to the winners and thanks to everyone for playing along!

june's issue will be delayed slightly thanks to this holiday weekend throwing me off schedule.

new giveaway at herbal roots!

i'm thrilled to announce my 2nd partnership for fun monthly giveaways!! slither on over to sign up for a chance to win this cute little fella! the contest ends on may 22.

and don't forget, there's still time to enter for the dandelion pendant made by my good friend rebekah! for every referral that ends with a sale, i'll add your name to the pot a 2nd time! that contest ends on may 25th. i'll announce the winner when june's edition is released. (make sure you comment on the pendant giveaway post).

isn't it dandy...

i love dandelions! seeing them like this makes me smile. a few minutes after i took this pictures, sage had a hay day with them!

we've been harvesting them to make jelly (you can find the recipe here), syrup and other delicious concoctions! jaden was a big help separating the petals from the base.

the jelly is one of my favorite herb jellies. it's like a golden drop of honey in every bite.

we have been enjoying dandelions every day in salad and tea. i add the leaves to both. i hope to harvest more roots soon to roast for making dandelion chai. you can find that delicious recipe in this month's edition!

if you haven't signed up yet or missed it over the weekend, don't forget to comment on friday's post to have a chance at winning the beautiful dandelion pendant that my lovely friend rebekah made. (sorry to tease you like that on friday with her being out of town, she should be back online today!) she makes the loveliest ceramic fairies, mugs, birdhouses and pendants. don't forget that for each referral that ends in a sale that you make, i'll add your name to the pot again! the drawing ends at the end of this month.

happy mayday and a herbal roots giveaway!

happy mayday! is everyone making their mayday baskets to go leave on doors? this month's edition of herbal roots has a may day basket craft to put some sunny dandelions into. just remember, if you get caught, the person catching you is supposed to kiss you!this month, i'm starting an exciting partnership with an amazingly talented friend of mine who makes pottery. at the end of the month, i'll announce the winner of this beautifully handcrafted dandelion pendant.to enter the contest, leave me a comment about what you like the most about dandelions.
and, for extra chances to win, tell others about herbal roots. for each person that purchases a copy of herbal roots naming you as the referring party, you'll get another chance to win!
if you can't wait until the end of the month, head on over to her store and pick one out for yourself! she has all sorts of lovelies...butterflies, dragonflies, bees, mushrooms, spirals in addition to peppermint, daffodils and violets.

what i like about you...contest winner

jaden drew a name and this month's contest winner to receive a free copy of may's herbal roots is leslie and evan at comfrey cottages! congratulations!

leslie wrote about her experience with violets:

this weekend 3 of my grandchildren and i spent the day gathering violets. wish i could post pics here, but since i can't here is the link to the picture of evan, age 8 gathering
http://s148.photobucket.com/albums/s25/lesliepostin/april2009/?action=view&current=HPIM3397.jpg
he ended up being my most diligent picker. anyway, i guess we have enjoyed the comraderie of working together harvesting and then making the beautiful violet jelly! the stories have been a huge hit also, and i am sure none of the kids can walk by violets without viewing them with a new eye. an eye like a budding herbalist kristine. so i guess my favorite thing about violets as they have been an easy way to get the kids involved in learning to gather wild plants for food and medicine. we love herbal roots!!! thank you so much for the time and effort that goes into creating each issue! great big hugs to you:)

violets - what's your favorite thing about them?

we have a large patch of violets out by the barn. they keep growing and growing and they are so beautiful that i let them. i am also transplanting a bunch to grow by the sidewalk next to the back door. they are very hardy so once they are established, if people walk on them, it won't hurt them. plus, there will be a beautiful splash of color to greet us when we walk outside. i can't think of anything better than that!

today's activity in herbal roots is for its readers to share their experiences of violet with me for a chance to win a copy of next month's edition for free! tell me herbal roots subscribers, what have you enjoyed most about violet? what crafts or recipes were the most fun for you?

please submit your experiences by monday, april 27. on tuesday, april 28, i will pull 1 name out of the basket!

good luck!!

Poetry Winner - March Contest

congratulations to meadow! she won the march poetry contest with her two poems:

I wrote two poems about chickweed;
***
chickweed, chickweed,
how does it taste to you?
it is great to me,
chickweed, chickweed,
kinda crunchy,
what do you think of it, good,bad?
eat it, rabbits do,
eat it, humans do,
do you like chickweed?
***
that was a acrostic poem
***
Chick grows on the ground,
chickweed grows all around,
everywhere it's found
***
that was a Haiku

she gets next month's issue for free!!

Herbal Roots for March: Chickweed

In this month's edition of Herbal Roots, kids are learning about chickweed.

Chickweed is a great starter herb to learn about. It's taste is mild and pleasant when eaten raw (similar to spinach), it is very nutritious, makes a delicious tea and a great addition to salads, soups and anywhere else you'd use spinach and medicinally, it is great for treating all sorts of skin ailments, including itching, stings and cuts.

Occasionally on the daily activities calendar page, I create contests and challenges for the kids to participate in. This week, kids have an opportunity to win next month's copy of Herbal Roots for free. All they have to do is write a poem about chickweed and post it in the comments of this post. All poems must be posted by Monday, March 16, 2009. On Tuesday, March 17, 2009, I'll put all the names into a drawing and select one and announce the winner.

Good luck kids! Let's hear your poems!

If you haven't purchased a copy of this month's Herbal Roots, you can still do so right here!

Herbal Roots Contest!

Hey all you herbal roots subscribers, here's your chance to win a marshmallow root from my garden that you can plant and grow in your garden to have your own supply of marshmallow.

Here's what you need to do:

Go to your calendar page in your activity book and count the number of times the word 'marshmallow' appears on that page. I will put all kids names who answered correctly into a drawing to select 2 lucky winners of a root. Mom and Dad, you may list all your kids' answers in 1 comment, no need to do multiple comments.

I'll accept all answers until Midnight on Saturday, February 28 and then the comments will be turned off. The winning name will be posted here on Monday, March 2, 2009.

Ready? Go get counting!!

(and as a reminder, today, the second issue of Herbal Roots is available for sale! March's issue is all about Chickweed).

Congratulations to Stephany!!! She won a free copy of March's Herbal Roots for having the most referrals for February's edition of Herbal Roots!

Poetry Winner

this month's winner of the poetry contest is rheawhite and wyntir:

many uses
anti-inflammatory
roots, leaves and flowers used
stomach ailments helped
hollyhocks and okra are related
many vitamins like A and B
aleves coughs
lozenges
loved in candy form
often used for diuretic
works for whopping cough

congratulations! next month's copy of herbal roots will be sent to you on monday, february 23. your poem really captures the essence of marshmallow! i hope you have been enjoying learning all about him.

meadow, you had a copy of next month's herb so i'm forwarding your entry into next month's contest.

Herbal Roots for February: Marshmallow

In my debut Herbal Roots monthly activity packet, kids are learning about marshmallow root.

Marshmallow root is a great soothing herb! It can be used for so many things, internally and externally. It treats dry, hacking coughs, and is soothing on the digestive system, used to treat all sorts of problems including ulcers. This month, kids are learning all about marshmallow, learning to make all sorts of healing remedies including teas, poultices and sore throat lozenges. There's even a recipe to make old fashioned marshmallows!

Occasionally on the daily activities calendar page, I create contests and challenges for the kids to participate in. This week, kids have an opportunity to win next month's copy of Herbal Roots for free. All they have to do is write a poem about marshmallow (the medicinal one, not the confection bought at the grocery store) and post it in the comments of this post. All poems must be posted by Monday, February 16, 2009. On Tuesday, February 17, 2009, I'll put all the names into a drawing and select one and announce the winner.

Good luck kids! Let's hear your poems!