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<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>The December holidays are a perfect time to treat the loved ones on your list to botanically inspired gifts. For those interested in botany or herbalism, these gifts will encourage the learning journey, offer up inspiration, and encourage a bit of rest and relaxation in this busy month. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite botanical resources and herbal creations below!</span>
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<h3>Easy Handmade Herbal Blends</h3>
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<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>For those of you who enjoy making gifts, herbal tea and spice blends are easy to make, satisfying to give, and a delight to receive. </span>
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<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>For tea drinkers who enjoy settling in with a mug of hot tea, you may find inspiration in </span>
<a href=”https://www.motherearthnews.com/natural-health/4-herbal-teas-for-autumn-and-winter-zbcz1610″ target=”_self”>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>4 Herbal Teas for Autumn and Winter</span>
</a>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> or </span>
<a href=”https://theherbalacademy.com/ten-homemade-herbal-teas-for-cold-and-flu-season/” target=”_blank”>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Teas for Cold & Flu Season</span>
</a>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>. An herbal tea blend (or an assortment of blends!) is a lovely gift when paired with a tea infuser and a beautiful mug from a local potter. A favorite of ours at the Herbal Academy is our </span>
<a href=”https://theherbalacademy.com/nourishing-weedy-tea/” target=”_blank”>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Nourishing Weedy Tea blend</span>
</a>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>. </span>
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<h3>Nourishing Weedy Tea</h3>
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<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Ingredients:</span>
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<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>• 1 Tbsp dried nettle leaf</span>
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• 1 Tbsp dried peppermint<br />
• 1 Tbsp dried dandelion leaf<br />
• 1 Tbsp dried red clover blossom</p>
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<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>
<strong>Directions:</strong>
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<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>1. Add your herbs to one-quart hot water. Steep for 20 minutes to four hours, strain, and enjoy drinking your weeds!</span>
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<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>For those who love to cook or just need some new inspiration, choose from these recipes for </span>
<a href=”https://theherbalacademy.com/5-herbal-spice-blends-make-use/” target=”_blank”>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>5 Herbal Spice Blends</span>
</a>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> from around the globe to add a creative dash of flavor in the kitchen. Spice blends can be packaged in beautiful jars and given along with recipe cards with your favorite recipe suggestions. </span>
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<h3>Plant Identification Foraging Bag</h3>
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<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>For those who like to forage for wild plants, this beautifully designed crossover bag is a practical and beautiful tool. The plant identification chart on the front panel will help you become acquainted with the many plants growing in your area!</span>
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<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>The </span>
<a href=”https://theherbalacademy.com/product/plant-identification-foraging-tote-bag/” target=”_blank”>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Plant Identification Foraging Tote</span>
</a>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> is made of 100 percent cotton, organic, and comes in natural. The large interior pocket is perfect for carrying an iPad or journal when the time comes for jotting down plant identification notes and harvesting locations.</span>
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<p>Shop the <a href=”https://theherbalacademy.com/product/plant-identification-foraging-tote-bag/” target=”_blank”>Plant Identification Foraging Tote bag here</a>.</p>
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<h3>Herbal Book</h3>
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<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>There are so many wonderful herbal books for the budding botanist or herbalist, and speaking from experience, a book is always a welcome gift! You can choose one of the titles on our </span>
<a href=”https://theherbalacademy.com/101-herbal-books/” target=”_blank”>101 Herbal Books</a>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> compilation based on experience level and topic of interest, or one of the books below written by two of the herbalists who are teachers in our </span>
<a href=”https://theherbalacademy.com/product/advanced-herbal-course/” target=”_blank”>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Advanced Herbal Course</span>
</a>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>.</span>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>
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<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>For the herbalist,</span>
<a href=”http://amzn.to/2fZMTiU” target=”_blank”>Body into Balance</a> by Maria Noel Groves<strong>
</strong>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>is accessible for folks</span>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> new to herbalism as well as those wishing to continue their learning journey. The book describes the foundations of good health and walks the reader through the body systems, describing herbs, recipes, and protocols that can be used to regain and maintain balance. Short herbal monographs and instructions for making herbal preparations are also included.</span>
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<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>For the botanist, </span>
<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/Peterson-Medicinal-Eastern-Central-America/dp/0547943989/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1478625261&sr=8-1&keywords=peterson%27s+field+guide+foster+duke&linkCode=ll1&tag=heracaofnewen-20&linkId=c7129e1389eab528dac1dd3c3b605240″ target=”_blank”>Peterson’s Field Guide to Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants and Herbs</a> by Steven Foster and James A. Duke<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> and </span>
<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/Western-Medicinal-Plants-Peterson-Guides/dp/0395838061/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1478625306&sr=8-1&keywords=peterson%27s+field+guide+western&linkCode=ll1&tag=heracaofnewen-20&linkId=085d5bca319014872299a39fb75e9101″ target=”_blank”>Peterson’s Field Guide to Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs</a> by Christopher Hobbs, Steven Foster, and Roger Tory Peterson<strong>
</strong>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>have color photographs, are helpful for plant identification in the field, and also present information on medicinal uses of plants.</span>
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<h3>Magazine Subscription</h3>
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<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>A monthly or bimonthly magazine can bring welcome inspiration and practical tips to the plant lover’s mailbox. </span>
<a href=”https://www.motherearthliving.com/subscribe/subscribe.aspx?promocode=EMLADFZ3″ target=”_blank”>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Mother Earth Living</span>
</a>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>, <a href=”https://www.motherearthnews.com/store/offer/emedngx9″ target=”_self”>Mother Earth News</a> (photographed above), </span>
<a href=”https://stampington.com/willow-and-sage” target=”_blank”>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Willow & Sage</span>
</a>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>, and </span>
<a href=”http://www.taprootmag.com/” target=”_blank”>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Taproot</span>
</a>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> magazines are a few of our favorites for information on gardening, cooking, and making herbal products.</span>
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<h3>Gift of Education</h3>
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<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Herbalism education offers the opportunity for someone to take a passion for plants and herbalism to the next level as they learn to use herbs in a meaningful way to support their own and others’ wellness. Many courses, like those at the Herbal Academy, offer not only information but also community, nurturing and inspiring growth while also providing connection within a supportive community. </span>
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<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Herbal Academy offers four online herbalism courses: an</span>
<a href=”https://theherbalacademy.com/product/online-introductory-herbal-course/” target=”_blank”>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> Introductory Herbal Course</span>
</a>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> to give students with little or no herbal experience a glimpse into the world of herbs, an </span>
<a href=”https://theherbalacademy.com/product/online-intermediate-herbal-course/” target=”_blank”>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Intermediate Herbal Course</span>
</a>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> for students with some herbal training who are ready to dive in deeper into body systems and herbal therapeutics, an </span>
<a href=”https://theherbalacademy.com/product/advanced-herbal-course/” target=”_blank”>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Advanced Herbal Course</span>
</a>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> for students who are interested in taking their studies to a professional level, and the </span>
<a href=”https://theherbalacademy.com/product/entrepreneur-herbal-course/https://theherbalacademy.com/product/entrepreneur-herbal-course/” target=”_blank”>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Entrepreneur Herbal Course</span>
</a>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> for those interested in launching a small herbal products business. The Herbal Academy courses are on sale at 10% off through December 2016.</span>
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<a href=”https://theherbalacademy.com/courses-classes/” target=”_blank”>Learn more about the herbal courses here!</a>
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<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Herbal Academy also offers </span>
<a href=”http://herbarium.herbalacademyofne.com/?awt_l=93dS.&awt_m=3kJMzZRZ4TG43Xw” target=”_blank”>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>The Herbarium</span>
</a>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>, a membership website that includes a searchable plant database full of carefully researched monographs. We created The Herbarium to provide an accessible place online for our members and curious herbal enthusiasts to be able to find reliable information all in one place! Besides the ever expanding research database, The Herbarium also includes thoughtful articles on the practice of herbalism that you won’t find anywhere else, and members have access to great discounts and other member perks.</span>
<a href=”http://herbarium.herbalacademyofne.com/?awt_l=93dS.&awt_m=3kJMzZRZ4TG43Xw” target=”_blank”> Learn more about The Herbarium here!</a>
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<p>We hope these options provide some inspiration for the plant lover on your holiday gift list. <span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Happy Holidays!</span>
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<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>
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<p>
<a href=”https://www.motherearthnews.com/biographies/jane-cookman-metzger-curriculum-director-herbal-academy-of-new-england” target=”_self”>Jane Cookman Metzge</a>
<em style=”box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-align: start; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;”>r is the Assistant Director at the</em>
<em> </em>
<a href=”http://theherbalacademy.com/” target=”_blank” style=”box-sizing: border-box;”>Herbal Academy</a>
<em>. Herbal Academy programs offer multiple levels of comprehensive herbal education, ranging from very beginner to advanced professional levels. Set your foundation in the</em> <a href=”https://theherbalacademy.com/product/online-introductory-herbal-course/” target=”_blank” style=”box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-align: start; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;”>Introductory Herbal Course</a>, <em style=”box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-align: start; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;”>explore herbal therapeutics for body systems in greater depth in the</em> <a href=”https://theherbalacademy.com/product/online-intermediate-herbal-course/” target=”_blank” style=”box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-align: start; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;”>Intermediate Herbal Course</a>, <em style=”box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-align: start; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;”>prepare for business endeavors in the</em> <a href=”https://theherbalacademy.com/product/entrepreneur-herbal-course/” target=”_blank” style=”box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-align: start; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;”>Entrepreneur Herbal Course</a>, <em style=”box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-align: start; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;”>and delve into complex clinical topics in the</em> <a href=”https://theherbalacademy.com/product/advanced-herbal-course/” target=”_blank” style=”box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-align: start; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;”>Advanced Herbal Course</a>. <em style=”box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-align: start; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;”>Through the Herbal Academy’s training paths, students will gain the knowledge and experience required for careers as professional herbalists, and with additional hands-on training, clinical herbalism. All programs are held online, and designed with an international classroom in mind. Read all of Jane’s MOTHER EARTH NEWS posts</em>
<em> </em>
<a href=”https://www.motherearthnews.com/search?tags=%22jane%20cookman%20metzger%22″ target=”_self” style=”box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px none; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-align: start; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;”>here</a>
<em style=”box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-align: start; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;”>.</em>
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