Beauty secrets!

Here is a bunch of recipes to make your own beauty products. I haven't used or tried them all. If you do make them, shoot me an email or leave a comment and let use know how it went and how it worked.

Most of the supplies can be found at grocery stores or health food stores. Walmart has Tea Tree oil, glycerin, coconut and other oils and probably more.

**Yogurt Facial**
2tbsp honey
2tbsp yogurt
Apply and allow to dry, about 20 min. Rinse

**Apple Mask**
1 apple cored and cut
2tbsp honey
Chop in processor and mix with honey. Refrigerate for 10 min. Tap onto face, allow to sit 30 min. Rinse

**Apple and Oatmeal**...for oily skin
1tbsp oat powder
half a grated apple
little milk
Mix and apply. Let set for 10 min. Rub off in circular motion. Rinse

Rub half an apple on face to even out skin texture.

**Moisturizing Face Mask***
Mash half an avacado and spread over face and neck. Let set for 15 min. Rinse off warm then cool water.
-Use old, brown avacados

***Clay***
Bentonite
China
French Green
Pink
Rhassoul
--Add a bit of milk and honey to a few tbsps clay of your choice. Apply to face and let dry. Rinse
--Add 2tbsp yogurt to1tbsp. clay. Mix, apply and rinse.

**Skin Softener**
1/2cup coconut milk
2tbsp honey
Heat up milk and add honey. Pat onto skin and leave 10 min. Rinse.

**Hair Strengthening**
1/2 lime
4tbsp coconut milk
Massage into scalp. Leave for 2-3 hours for maximum results. Once a week.

**Hair Rinse for brunettes or reds**
Rinse with black coffee after shampooing. Follow  with warm, clear rinse water.

**Face Scrub**
1/4cup finely ground cornmeal
Enough water to moisten
Apply with circular motion and rinse

**Nourishing Face Mask**
Cornmeal, yogurt and honey to make a paste. Apply and let set 15 min. Rinse with warm water.

**Finishing Rub**
After shower, pour cornmeal onto wet washcloth.  Rub all over body.

**Cucumber Astringent**
Rub piece of cucumber onto skin. Let dry a few min. Rinse cold.

**Cucumber Mask**
Puree 1/2 peeled cucumber.
1tbsp yogurt
Apply and let sit 20 min. Wipe off with damp cloth.

**Green Tea Spritzer**
3.5oz green tea
2cups mineral watet
Steep for at least 1 hour. Strain.
-Store in frig to last longer. Freshen face, on cottn ball or pad for tired or strained eyes, minor cuts and rashes, spots and blemishes  and even sunburn. Soak cloth and lay on skin until cool.

**Honey Moisturizer**
1tbsp honey
1 egg white, beaten
1tsp glycerin
Oatmeal powder
Make a paste and apply. Let sit for 20 min. Rinse cold.

**Honey Hair Shine**
1tsp honey
4cups warm water
After shampooing,  rinse hair. Blondes add a squeeze of lemon

**Face Scrub**
2tbsp ground oats
2tsp brown sugar
2tbsp aloa vera
1tsp lemon juice
Mix into a paste.  Rub onto skin and rinsr off. Can be used on body too.

**Skin Toner**
1cup water-rain, distilled, spring
1 heaping tbsp dried peppermint or sage, 1/4 fresh herbs
3tsp apple cider vinegar,  if skin is oily add 2tsp more
Use within 3 weeks,  store in frig

**Tomato Wash-combats oily skin**
Skin ripe tomato.  Puree briefly and strain some juice so it is thicker. Apply and rinse after 15 min.

**Tomato Mask**
1/2 tom
2tbsp oil-olive, sunflowrt, etc.
1tbsp sugar
1tbsp yogurt
Blend and apply for 10-15 min. Rinse

**Natural Shampoo**
1oz olive oil
1 egg
1tbsp lemon juice
Rinse- 1/2tbsp vinegar and cupmof watet

**Herbal Milk Bath**
1cup cornstarch
1cup powdered milk
2tsp favorite herb
Blend until smooth.  Add 1/2 cup to bath

**Bath Salts**
1cup epsom salt
1cup sea salt
1/2cup bakibg soda
1/4-1/2tsp essential oil
Grind salt until fine. Combine with whisk and add 1/3 cup to bath

**Quick and Easy Soap**
42oz can shortening
5oz canola oil or olive oil
5oz coconut oil
17oz cold water
7oz lye
Melt oils. Add water to lye outside. Let cool as oils melt together.  Let oils cool until warm to touch. Mix until trace. Pour into mold. Cover with towel and let set 24 hours. Cut and let cure for 3 weeks or longer.

Dang, That took hours! I also made dinnet;)

Enjoy! Please let me know if you make any of these. Off to fold laundry and country awards♥♡♥♡

Natural egg dyes

Dyeing Easter eggs is a fun tradition that’s been around for centuries. So, how did our ancestors make all of those bright colors back before commercial egg dyes were sold in stores every spring?Making natural dye colors out of fruits, vegetables, and other everyday items you can find in your home or garden is both easy and fun. Everything from onion skins to grass can be used to make vibrant all-natural colors. Just throw the raw materials into the boiling water while you cook the eggs – you’ll need to boil each color separately – and you’re good to go!

 For really vivid color, be sure to add at least a half a cup of dyeing material, and two teaspoons of vinegar, for each cup of water you use.In a medium pan, put in a single layer of eggs, enough water to cover them, and your dyeing materials. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and let the eggs and dye mixture simmer for about 15 minutes. If you want the color on your eggs to be darker, let the eggs soak in the dye mixture in the fridge overnight.

Here are some natural ingredients you can use for various dye colors:

Purple: Grape Juice, Red Wine, Violets (works best mashed into a paste with lemon juice).
Blue: Canned Blueberries (including the juice), Red Cabbage Leaves.
Green: Grass Cuttings, Spinach Leaves.
Yellow: Carrot Tops, Ground Cumin or Turmeric, Orange or Lemon Peels.
Brown: Coffee.
Orange: Carrots, Chili Powder, Paprika. Yellow Onion Skins.
Pink: Canned Beets (with juice), Cranberry Juice, Raspberries.Red: Canned Cherries (with juice), Pomegranate Juice, Red Onions Skins.

***Do you have any favorites? Post them!!

Be kind

It is a little jumbled but a good read.


“Spotlight on Earth Stewardship” with Founder of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Jere Gettle

3/27/2013 9:40:25 AMBy Crystal StevensTags: heirloom seeds, saving seeds, environmental issues, Crystal StevensFor years, my husband and I have been ordering seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. They have an amazing variety of heirloom seeds that produce some of the most unique, vibrant and gorgeous fruits and vegetables that we have ever seen. Our personal all-time favorites, ones which we have not gone a year without growing, include; Marketmore Cucumber, Green Zebra Tomato, Cherokee Purple Tomato, Purple Beauty Peppers, Red Meat Radish, Chioggia Beets, and Golden Beets. On several occasions, we were Artisan Vendors at Baker Creek Heritage Festivals. In order to be a vendor, you are required to dress in “Old Timey Attire”, which we happily did and enjoyed every second of it. Being in Bakersville Pioneer Village is literally like stepping back in time. It has a wide array of attractions, such as a Mercantile Store, an Apothecary Shoppe, an enormous chicken coup with beautiful heritage breeds, a plethora of stunning gardens, a metal smith exhibit, and even the Bakersville Opry, complete with straw bale seating. It is truly a homesteader’s paradise. Like so many other patrons of Baker Creek, Jere and his wife Emilee have inspired my husband and I as farmers, as parents, as dreamers, as artists, and as stewards of the earth. They are a beautiful example of how one can manifest their own reality by transforming an idea into a dream, a dream into a vision, and that vision into veracity through hard work and perseverance, as well as unconditional support and encouragement from loved ones. Keep dreaming!Spotlight on Earth Stewardship: is a monthly feature which pays homage to Eco-conscious individuals by sharing their stories of hope, inspiration, challenges and insight into making the earth a better place for generations to come.

Spotlight on Earth Stewardship: Jere Gettle, founder of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Jere Gettle always had a passion for growing things, and at age 3 he planted his first garden. Ever since that day, he wanted to be involved in the seed industry. So at the age of 17, he printed the first small Baker Creek Heirloom Seed catalog in 1998. The company has grown to offer 1450 varieties of vegetables, flowers and herbs—the largest selection of heirloom varieties in the U.S.A. The New York Times Magazine calls Jere, “the Indiana Jones of seeds.”  Check out this great video about Jere and his seed company.What inspired you to be a steward of the Earth? Being in the garden as a child with parents and grandparents. Planting a tiny seed and watching it transform into the amazing diversity of fruits and vegetables. Being at eye-level with insects and seeing the part they play in our larger world. Watching the genetics of plants unfold right in front of my eyes.What major obstacles have gotten in your way?   Lots and lots of smaller hassles have worked together to create obstacles. Shortage of time is always a factor—there never seems to be enough time. Insect pests are always obstacles to anyone trying to grow things organically. Genetic engineering and cross contamination mean that we have to spend time and money testing our seeds. We lose not only the immediate crops that have been contaminated, but are in danger of losing whole varieties themselves. Regulations on the movement of seeds create obstacles.To you, what are the 5 most pressing environmental issues? 1) Genetic engineering because it threatens the whole history of farming and the future of food we eat. Genetic engineering even has the ability to threaten nature itself.2) Increased application of pesticides, which is due in part to genetic engineering3) Big Box Stores4) Factory farms, due to their impact on local communities and the massive run-off from them that pollutes our water systems.5) Mass transportation of food over long distances. Not only the carbon footprint created by the fuels themselves being used to transport food, but the added chemicals, waxes, gasses, etc. that are used to make food travel well.What would be your 5 solutions to those issues? 1) Label GMO's so people would have a choice to know what they are eating. Better yet, ban GMO's.2) A decrease in genetically engineered crops would naturally lead to a decrease in pesticides. I would also increase education and make people aware of the dangers of GMO's so more people would be less likely to use pesticides if they knew the dangers.3) The first step would be to educate people to the advantages of shopping locally. Have them get to know and trust the producers of their food. Another solution would be to take away the tax incentives and monetary advantages that Big Box Stores and corporations are given over local businesses.4) Take away the massive government subsidies given to factory farms, make them adhere to human practices, limit the use of chemicals and antibiotics, as well as regulate runoff.5) Encourage people to eat locally and grow their own. Educate people about the advantages of eating foods that have been grown locally.What steps are you taking personally to contribute to a brighter future for the planet?  On a local level, national level, and on a global level? I founded Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds to help preserve heritage seeds. I try to buy local and support local endeavors. I educate people about our historic food systems. I feel it is important that we all work towards establishing and supporting more localized food systems, localized markets, and localized governments.What are your current projects?   Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Petaluma Seed Bank We are always constantly searching for new varieties of seeds to trial. We have a major restoration project underway at Comstock, Ferre & Co. that we purchased a few years ago in Wethersfield, Connecticut. We are in the process of creating a food-related nonprofit organization. We are currently planning our third annual National Heirloom Exposition, a huge pure food event in northern California.Read more about their current projects online at www.rareseeds.com.Baker Creek is looking for heirloom growers to buy seeds from. Visit www.comstockferre.com for more info.Read my full interview with Jere Gettle in my blog, Grow Create Inspire I recently had the pleasure of attending a Seed Saving Workshop led by Art Davidson of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Read more about seed saving in my blog, Grow Create Inspire. Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/blogs/blog.aspx?blogid=1510#ixzz2Ol3maHSf

Barrel Potatoes

Start in spring. Potatoes take all season to fully mature, so begin this project around your average last frost date (which you can find out from your county extension agent).Select the spuds. They grow from chunks of last year’s crop — chunks with an “eye,” or rootlet, are referred to as “seed potatoes.” Each “eye” produces a cluster of new tubers. You can find countless potato varieties in nurseries and online, and you can use any one you want, but small to medium-size ones work best in a barrel. Be sure to get certified disease-free seed potatoes, because they can suffer from nasty problems like scab.Pick a barrel. Plain or fancy, it’s your call. Gardening catalogs and Web sites offer barrels specifically designed for growing potatoes. But they are mostly about being more attractive — not functionally better — than one you make at home out of a whiskey barrel or a common trash can. If your container has been used before, be sure to scrub it out well to get rid of fungi that might cause your potatoes to rot before you harvest them.Drill for drainage. If the barrel doesn’t already have holes in it where excess water can drain out quickly, drill a few in the bottom and in the sides close to the bottom. Quarter- to half-inch holes are big enoughRead more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/do-it-yourself/no-space-potato-barrel-ze0z11zkon.aspx#ixzz2Mlq01zJB

Uses for natural stuff

Here's a link for some pretty cool crafts to do with nature:O)

Uses for natural stuff

Clumsy mama and Coach Big Daddy:O)

Welp, we never went campin'. Things just didn't pan out. We did go fishin' last Sunday and I was the only one to catch a fish:O) I used a bit of hot dog and it snagged me a Blue Gill. It was a little on the small side but I brought him home to put in my fish bucket. I'm makin' fertilizer with fish and other organic matter that will break down into some wonderful super juice. I'm hopin' to sell it in quarts along with other things at the Farmer's Market this year, which starts next weekend. I have a few other thoughts in mind for things to sell...jewelry I make, soap (gardeners soap and others), fresh cuts flowers and herbs, chicks and ducklings and Brandon is startin' to make things with wood from around the property. I found him a chunk of wood that looks like a Bald Eagle head. It's really amazing how it resembles an Eagle. Now I just need to get him a dremel (maybe for our 13th anniversary on the 15th:O)

I will be doin' Easter different this year...no stupid baskets filled with a crap load of tooth-rottin' candy. Nope, this year I plan to make their baskets from vines around here to put their eggs in and I will plant flower seeds in a pot I will decorate for them to love and take care of. This is a time of renewal and growth!

Here are a few sites that give some good info on basket weaving and natural resources for material.

Basket Weaving Materials

Patterns

Weaving Vines

I signed all the kids up for Tball and Softball yesterday...well, except for Stinky Pete. I thought he only had to be 3 but he has to be 5. BUT...Brandon was picked as a coach so I'm hopin' they will make an exception like they did last year for the coaches tiny 3 year old son. I hope!! He really wants to play and is actually a good sized little dude:O) Brandon has his first meeting today and I hope it goes well. He should do awesome and I'm so proud of him!!! It feels good to finally feel like we are fittin' into our community...after 3 years:O)

O-and I severally sprained my left ankle, if not broke it almost a week ago. We had some snakes that needed killed and the shovel was in my monster truck. Hope up on the tire and reach to get the shovel. Turn around and hope down (about 3-4 feet) on my left leg to stay off my *needs surgery* right knee and my ankle just flipped and buckled onto the top with the shovel in there some where. Since we had company at the time I had to jump up (with the help of the shovel still in my hand) like I was fine but I tell ya, I could have broke out in some tears! I can handle a large amount of pain but this was HUGE!!

I finally get into the house and get my shoe off. It was already startin' to swell and frankly kinda felt numb. I put ice on it and have been tryin' to stay off it as much as possible. And that is VERY hard for me. I am always busy out in the yard or somethin' and now I can't. I tried to talk Brandon into fixin' my 4 wheeler wagon tires so I can haul some rocks and stuff but it's a no-go:O( He says he ain't fixin' it until my ankle/foot is better. And since it's still swelled up into my leg, I can't put full weight on it and still just messed up...my wagon won't get fixed...but maybe I will:O)

Anyhoo, I better get off here and see what I can do in the yard before things hurt too bad. I did get 8 roses moved and have seen Crate Myrtles all over the yard. I might dig those and pot them to sell as well. People are payin' hundreds of dollars for bigger trees around here...SWEET!!! And we have them almost growin' wild:O)

Have a great day and enjoy some outside time today!!!

Goin' campin'! And a few recipes and pics

 Here are a bunch of pics of the house and property. My computer is overheatin' and just turnin' off so I can't post all I wanted. But I hope it gives ya'll a better idea of how it's laid out and what it looks like. O-and the weird pic taken from inside the car is the pond. Sorry they are just thrown in there...it took me 3 times of lettin' my 'puter cool off just to get this post off:O) I'm gettin' a tablet of some kind...hopefully it's frickin' soon!!!

YEEEEHAWWWW...we're goin' campin' next week and I can't wait!. Spring break starts and I told Brandon we had to get us all outta the house for a while or mama would probably hurt someone;O) At least the weather has been better and the kids have had a little time outside after they come home from school. Imagine...the boys wake up better for school now then before the time change...lol...but I'll take it!!

Not sure where wee will go campin'. The woods around here have gotten bad with loggers/big companies. You have to have a permit to even GO into the woods, even to pick berries! But even with a permit (rec permit is like 30 bucks!) you still can't use 4 wheelers and we really want to take'em.

We have family with property in the mountains but there really isn't much to do up there. We like to explore old settlements and homesteads and it's pretty much just pines and ponds. There's plenty of fishin' though. Hopefully we can get the 4 wheelers goin' and they only need the batteries charged. We haven't used them all winter but I need them now to get some outside chores done...I need to fence and get Spirit a buddy!!

We also have family with land along the Kiamichi, where we usually go, but we wanted some place different. I guess I'll get to askin' around and online search the area and see what I get:O)

   

Okay...here are a few recipes. I will try to put something useful in every post...but I won't make promises (I never do:O)...just try like hell!

Quick and Easy Handmade Soap

*42 ozs. crisco (1 can)
*5 ozs. canola oil
*5 ozs coconut oil
*17 ozs. water
*7 ozs water
This will make 3-4lbs of soap. Use basic soap making techniques (email or comment if you need more instruction).

Sweet Honey Lip Balm

*5-6 tbsp. sweet almond, jojoba, veggie, etc (liquid)
*1-2 tbsp. beeswax
*2 tsp. honey
*2 drops essential oil-tea tree, peppermint, etc.
Heat over low heat until wax is melted. Stir well. Let cool a bit and then add essential oil. Pour into container-recycled lip tubes, etc.

And as with all my recipes, I change them around to suit my needs or tastes. So have fun with these. O-and don't worry about the crisco in the soap recipe...the chemical reaction you get doesn't leave you with a greasy bar of soap:O) It's a very nourishing oil for your body. I've even make lotion with it:O)