Gracious nearby neighbor Glynna allowed a massive harvesting of her very large elderberry bush. After cleaning, de-stemming, cooking down with water and adding honey–the result is a special treat reserved for drinking during the cold and flu season: elderberry syrup. Elderberry is a great immune booster during the winter, it helps to break up congestion from cold and flu.

Make your own syrup by de-stemming (use a clean hair pick or fork to assist in getting the berries off the stem) your harvested elderberries, place them in a large stock pot with water to the same level. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Use a potato masher to mash mixture and release more berry juice into mixture. Allow to cool slightly. Set up another large stock pot with a colander over it, line the colander with 4 layers of cheesecloth or a napkin type material that will strain out the seeds (seeds are teeny tiny). Ladle semi cooled mash and juice over the cheesecloth/colander and let juice drain through until you have ladled it all. Grab the edges of your cheesecloth or napkin and squeeze out the remaining juice to gain maximum yield. Remove colander and add your honey to the mixture along with the juice of one lemon per quart of juice. Lemon juice helps to preserve it as well as does honey. Add honey to taste, but the more honey, the more preserving its action is in the mixture. Bottle with a funnel and refrigerate. It will last 2-3 months. Drink a couple of Tablespoons daily or when you feel under the weather to stave off the cold. Alternatively use during a cold or flu to help rid congestion.

Pratima Skincare uses Ayurveda’s 5,000 year old tradition of herbs and other ingredients in their products. Each batch is handmade with pure herbs, roots, flower extracts and oils.  Blends are customized to fit your ayurvedic Dosha and unique skin type.

Pratima only uses 100% sustainable Herbs, Roots, Flowers, Fruits, Plants and Minerals from the earth for optimal skin immunity and visible results.

The living ingredients permeate skin and feed cells from deep within. Cruelty free and Sattvic—non-harming to any living being. Free of any and all chemicals and synthetic preservatives,f parabens, GMOs, artificial scents, colors and dyes.

Urnatur translating to ‘essence of nature’, is a Swedish forest getaway, where visitors can stay in cabins and spend time reconnecting with nature. The unique hand-crafted cottages and tree-houses are located in the Swedish Holaved Forest, and work in harmony with their surrounding environment.

UrNatur opened the doors to the wood hermitage in 2007. 6-15 guests can fit in the hermitage and can occupy six cabins. Only the conference hall and the tin castle, has access to electricity. UrNatur is perfect for day-long workshops, seminaries, lectures and other activities.

Forester Håkan Strotz and Biologist and Designer Ulrika Krynitz, bought the small farm Sjögetorp in 1993. Håkan worked as a teacher at Omberg’s Nature School, while Ulrika founded a textile design company ‘Qualle’ in 1999. during many summers they organized a handcraft festival called ‘ragnarök’. with strong shared interests in design and crafts, but also nature, ethno-biology, self-sustainability and cooking, the UrNatur project slowly took form.

The owners wanted to be able to offer a fantastic experience – similar to those of our parent’s generation – for city people who spend too much time far from nature. Houses are built from the storm-felled trees and are designed and built from scratch by Håkan.

Guests cook on an open fire and a single 12 volt lamp is powered by solar cells on top of the bath house roof.

All food offered at UrNatur is local, wild crafted or home grown. The bath house is the largest of all the houses, it contains a wood fired sauna, which heats two generous wash rooms.

via designboom, video from the Anthropologist via Kristin

Many people have their dirty little skin secret; their psoriasis or their eczema that they just don’t want to show let alone talk about. But there are answers to these painful and irritating skin conditions. Local Boulder company Suuthe, manufactures 100% natural products for almost any skin issue you or a family member may have. Originally created for babies with diaper rash and eczema, the formulas are gentle and strong for adults as well.

The brand takes a very holistic approach also offering probiotics, recognizing that nutrition can make as equally great an impact as topical salves and creams. Suuthe offers Skin Repair, Body Butter, Lip Balms, Facial Moisterizer, Pure Shea Butter & Pure Emu Oil products.

Just some of the skin issues that Suuthe products are effective in relieving are: eczema+psoriasis, diaper rash, dry cracked skin, scrapes+cuts, bumps+bruises, after sun+sunburn, 1st+2nd degree burns, stings+insect bites, newborn+ baby skin issues, aging+wrinkled skin, sensitive+painful skin, red itchy skin, scars+ stretch marks, post surgical care for wounds and scars and much more….

If you’d like a free sample of Suuthe products, call their customer service and mention HauteNature. Or if you’d like to go ahead and purchase a product from them enter code HAUTE on their site at checkout to receive a 20% discount on your entire order. They are also having a Valentines Day 20% off promotion on their site.

Your skin will thank you.

All I need for Christmas is a meditation space much like this stunner:

This Tea House designed by David Jameson Architect in Bethesda Maryland, is a breathtaking suspended structure much like a Japanese lantern. Constructed of bronze and glass, the opaque space is a serene meditation space, and stage for the family’s musical recitals. This project recently received a 2010 Washington DC AIA Award of Merit.

Project Area: 180 sqf

Photographs: Paul Warchol Photography