Allison Vallin Kostovick

Feb 13, 2024 | hachettebookgroup.com | Allison Vallin Kostovick |Ken Haedrich |Marion Cunningham |Terry Barlin Vesci

This is the sweetest time of the year! Come late February, when daytime temperatures begin to warm yet the nights still fall below freezing, it’s time to tap the sugar maple trees—and maple syrup season officially begins. A short drive along our road illustrates the popularity of sugaring season in our region. Some homes have beautiful old galvanized sap buckets collecting sap. Other places, like ours, use whatever clean bucketlike item we can find, which is usually a juice or water jug.

May 8, 2023 | hachettebookgroup.com | Allison Vallin Kostovick

Protect yourself, your children, your pets, and your home from bugs — without using harsh or toxic chemicals! Herbalist Stephanie Tourles offers 75 simple recipes for safe, effective bug repellents you can make at home from all-natural ingredients. For protection from mosquitos, ticks, and other biting insects, there are sprays, balms, body oils, and tinctures, with scents ranging from eucalyptus to floral, lemon, vanilla, and woodsy spice.