Truth, Inspiration, Hope.

Ila Bonczek

Ila lives in the Garden State with her family and four chickens. She has been growing produce and perennials for 20 years, and recommends gardening for food and fun, but not for fortune.
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Feeling Blue? Amigurumi to the Rescue!
Cold, dark and dreary, winter can get the best of us sometimes. While we endure those last dismal weeks before spring brings vibrance and vitality back to the world, a small creative challenge may be...
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Choosing Your Chewing Gum, and Why It Matters
Whether you chew for a purpose or for pleasure, you’ll be happy to know that chewing gum can, in moderation, do little harm; and, if you choose well, it can even be beneficial. While it...
Can Mushrooms Save the World? 8 Great Ways Fungi Can Repair Our Planet and Its Population
Oddly enough, the further we advance in science and technology, the bigger the mess we seem to make. Environmental pollution, ecological imbalance, disease, famine, vanishing natural resources and moral decay are growing concerns that threaten...
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Breeze Through Awkward Moments With Emotional Intelligence
We’ve all run into awkward moments where there’s an elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about; there is a palpable tension between two people; we’re facing an unfamiliar situation or group; or...
The Power of Surrender – Attain Your Greatest Aspirations by Giving in
Surrender is a complicated subject. On the one hand, it is perceived as negative — with connotations of defeat, loss and shame; yet on the other hand it is one of the greatest aspirations in...
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Sowing Seeds in February? You Bet! Early Planting Guide for Home Gardeners
To make the most of your growing season, save a bundle on plant material, and — most importantly — get your green thumb warmed up for a productive year, consider sowing seeds indoors.  If you’re...
Tea in India – An Internationally Recognized Cultural Treasure
Everyone in India has been raised with the belief that the day should begin with tea, and most people also enjoy it throughout the day.  If you take a look, you will notice that nearly...
Spheres: Exploring the Mystery and Mysticism of Nature’s Most Perfect Form
From the microscopic building blocks of life, to the countless cosmic bodies that resemble our own planet; we seem to be both immersed in and surrounded by spheres. Nature has provided so many examples of...
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Embrace Humility and Erase Irritability
Do you find yourself snapping at, or complaining about, or annoyed by others? Do some things just seem to rub you the wrong way? Maybe it’s time to take a critical look at your values....
The Fabled Chronicles of Christmas Botanicals
Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, you are certainly familiar with some of the many plants associated with this holiday. From the original Christmas gifts of frankincense and myrrh to the 70 million festive poinsettias...
Potpourri Project: Brighten Any Season With Hand-Crafted, All-Natural, Scented Gifts
Potpourri has long been used as a means to freshen the scent of indoor spaces, but it wasn’t always pretty. The French “pot-pourri,” from which our English word is derived, literally means putrid pot —...
Handwriting – A Dying Skill Well Worth Reviving
Since recorded history began, good handwriting has been a valued and highly-esteemed skill. Often considered an art, handwriting was once the primary means of creating important documents, communicating by letter, and preserving written memories.  As...