REVIEW ~ 101 Easy Homemade Products for your Skin, Health and Home

I was recently asked to review a brand new book on some of my favorite subjects: homemade skin care, health care and home care. And I need to tell you if EVER there were a great "what-book-would-you-recommend-for-newbies" book, THIS IS IT!

101 Easy Homemade Products for your Skin, Health and Home by Jan Berry, founder and blogger at The Nerdy Farm Wife.

It has EVERYTHING you are looking for in a book chock-full of information . . . 

~Right from the start, it has a sweet homey cover that just draws you to it

~Even the Table of Contents is exciting  to read: Getting Started . . . , Nontoxic Herbal Skin Care, Naturally Soothing Salves and Balms, Exotic Body Butters and Lotion Bars (oooo, ahhh), Easy, All-Natural Cream and Lotions, Garden-Fresh Bath Soaks and Salts, Beautiful Bath Melts and Scrubs, DIY Lip Care, Luscious Hair Care, Simple Homemade Soaps (any kind your little heart desires), Herbal Home Remedies, Nontoxic Solutions for the Home. And even All-Natural Pet Care!

~The book, itself, is made in such a way that all you have to do is lay it open . . . anywhere, on any page . . . and it will lay open. No laying something heavy on top, no bending or breaking the spine, it simply lays open so that you may read your recipes while your hands are busy.

~The photography is simply beautifully done and all photos were taken by Jan, herself.

~Jan has added a very detailed Resource List of some of her favorite websites.

~Something I don't believe I've ever seen anyone else do, in many of her recipes, Jan has included substitute ingredients and adjustments for using fresh or dried herbs.

~One of my favorite parts is her extensive listing of various herbs, their benefits and a list of recipes she has used them in along with the page number so that you can go right to the recipe.

Jan and her family live in rural Virginia in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and as mentioned above, is a writer and photographer for the popular blog: The Nerdy Farm Wife. She write for HobbyFarms.com and Natural Herbal Living Magazine and has been featured in many other publications.

You may follow Jan at these links:
https://thenerdyfarmwife
https://www.facebook.com/TheNerdyFarmWife/
https://instagram.com/nerdyfarmwife
https://pinterest.com/nerdyfarmwife/

I am SO very excited to recommend this book to you. If you know someone who is thinking about growing herbs and making their own homemade skin, health and home care THIS is the book you need to gift them with. And if you purchase a copy for yourself, BE SURE to let me know how much you LOVE this book! 

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Making Heap Big Medicine

I know I usually write about my medicinal teas, but I also like to make capsules for our family. 

THE Man was fighting off a virus-bug that is going around his office, so I needed to make some more goldenseal capsules and while I was at it, I made some more ashwagandha capsules. 

Just as an FYI, I like to use size 0 capsules which are generally 350-500 mg per capsule. You can get empty capsules at most health food markets.

Making your own medicine is easy-peasy. Make it ahead of time so that you always have it on hand.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

*Please see the obligatory disclaimer at the bottom of the page*

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#155~ Treasure

"Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." ~John 21:25

I am a pushover for a good book. Oh, my goodness, how I can get sucked right into a captivating plot line or even researching something that I am passionate about.

It's hard to put the book down when your main character is accused of a wrong that they didn't do and are coming perilously close to being caught by the bad guys . . . 

Or a courtship or a suitor pursuing his love . . . 

Or some sort of miraculous escape from what looked like certain death . . . 

Or the return of the Hero to save the day!

Do you realize that ALL of that happens in the Bible?

The Bible is NOT some somber book. It's not just FULL of knowledge and truth, but it's FULL of adventure . . . and they are ALL TRUE!

Proverbs is a book of wisdom and godly knowledge.

Are you excited by stories of adventure?  Read about Moses and the Children of Israel and their dealings with Pharaoh. How God confounded Pharaoh and miraculously saved the Israelites. (~Exodus 2-14)

Do you think that there is no romance in the Bible? You obviously have never read the Song of Solomon. Not only is this a love story of a human level, but it parallels God's great wooing and love for us ~ The Bride of Christ. 

Do great escapes and miraculous interventions pique your interest? Be sure to read about how an angel of the Lord miraculously rescued Peter from prison. (~Acts 12:1-19)

And there's nothing like the return of a long-awaited defeat of a great enemy with the return of a great King to His kingdom. If that is what you are looking for, then be sure to read the last 4 chapters of Revelation. The ULTIMATE Return of the King! (~Rev. 18-22)

But the very best part of all of these stories in the Bible is that THEY ARE ALL TRUE . . . OR WILL BE.

If you do not read your Bible regularly, or if you have never read it, try it. You have been given a great gift ~ a treasure ~ the Word of God ~ a Book written in your own language that tells you things that THE ONE TRUE GOD wants YOU to know. He will use this precious Book to help you to get to know Him, to draw you closer to Himself, to show you His love for you and the sacrifice He has made so that YOU may spend eternity with Him.

He loves you. You are His treasure. 

Don't believe me? Read it for yourself.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Damiana Herb ~ So Many Uses

 Damiana from my home

apothecary

Every-now-and-then, you come across an herb that has a "certain reputation." And then, as your knowledge of herbs expands, you find out that it's reputation has really cut it's other benefits short. 

Such is the case with Damiana. Yes . . . it is well known among herbalists, and herbal enthusiasts, that this pretty little bitter herb can be useful as an aphrodisiac, and many people are quite insistent about it . . . but . . . that is nipping the OTHER benefits of this herb, right in the bud.

As a bitter herb, you can count on Damiana being very effective as a tonic herb. These herbs are great to restore digestive function, stimulating those digestive juices. Also restoring a tired and debilitated nervous system.

Something that our family uses it for is for are those nasty UTI's, also helping with cystitis. A generous amount blended with a little Uvi Ursi herb in a tea, 2-4 times a day, can do wonders for a UTI. For an even stronger dose, make your own tincture. Making tinctures is far easier than you may think.

Damiana tea is also a mild laxative. If you need something a little stronger, use your tea ball and make a tea blend of Damiana and Senna. **NOTE** Start with a small amount of Senna and use more only if you need more. It's a powerful laxative herb. 

This herb with the nearly perfect green leaves and pretty little yellow flowers can be used as a mild anti-depressant, helping with nervous tension and anxiety. If you are facing something pressing or have had a hard, hurried day, sit back with the pleasant, light herbal taste of Damiana tea. Feel your heartbeat easing back into a gentle rhythm and feel your head start clearing of all the clamor of the day. Along with this, Damiana also helps with menstrual cramps and headaches. 

And for our menfolk, Damiana has developed quite a reputation as a testosterone-builder, helping with impotence. So, if you don't want your dear husband to take those pharmaceuticals ~ that you can't control the dose and also bring many side-effects with them ~ give a daily tea of Damiana a try. He will enjoy a light, tasty mug of tea and he may just be pleasantly surprised. 

Our Lord is a very good God and He knows exactly what His children can benefit from.

Let me know how you enjoy this valuable little herb, Damiana.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

*Please see the obligatory disclaimer at bottom of page*  

Easy Peasy Pumpkin Spice Coffee

Every year, my family looks forward to the days of fall when we go to our favorite larger grocery stores and find our Duncan Doughnuts Pumpkin Spice Coffee. 
 
OH. MY. It is a seasonal delight.

But . . . for that last 2 years, it has been quite the challenge to find it before OTHERS who evidently also find it and hoard it for the cold Ohio winter like squirrels hoarding nuts.

What's a Pumpkin Spice Coffee lover to do?

Well, leave it to my dear friend, Balinda ~ who also knows that "necessity is the mother of invention" ~ to bless our family with the answer . . . Add pumpkin pie spice to your coffee!!!

This is so easy and you will LOVE it.

 

You Will Need:

~ drip coffee maker
~ your favorite drip coffee
~ powdered pumpkin pie spice (I use Frontier)
~ measuring spoon (for heaping TBs, we like ours strong)
~ any extras you prefer (sweeteners/creamer/milk)
~ a generously sized mug

 

Directions:

1) For every 2 heaping TBs of coffee you use, add 1 ts of pumpkin pie spice powder; I put my spice in the middle of my spoons of coffee, it seems to blend better.

2) Brew coffee as usual

3) pour into your mug, add any extras you prefer; we use coconut sugar OR sucanat and yummy, gorgeous, sweet milk from a local farm.

 

 This coffee is to yummy that I

had to post this picture

again :-D

4) Enjoy.

So now, our problem is salved forever!

Let me know how much LOVE this homemade pumpkin spice coffee. 

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Herbal Harvest

Well . . . I'll bet you thought I had dropped off the face of the earth. Nope. THE Man has been doing some projects from home and has needed the the computer ~ on top of that, I've been working crazy hours at the health food store. It has simply been a crazy fall for us.

BUT . . . I did want to show you that I had one of my best herbal harvests ever! 

One of my most abundant were my rosemary plants. Oh my, they were almost 3 feet high. I've never had such large, lovely rosemary.

I also had echinacea, sweet basil, lavender, sage, dill, oregano, cilantro. 

Here are some of my lavender, sage, sweet basil and rosemary.

I love the smell of my fresh herbs hanging up to dry in my kitchen. 

What was in your garden this year?

Thanks, again, for your patience with my absence. And thank you, to those of you who emailed or commented on my Facebook to make sure I am OK. Love you all.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Yes . . . I'm Still Around~

Hello dear readers ~

I just wanted to let you know that I am still around and will be back to blogging in the VERY NEAR future. Thank you, for your concern over my absence. Sure makes a girl feel good. <3 b="">

THE Man has been doing some things from home and has needed the computer during the day, and his projects are of greater importance than mine, at the moment.

Hope to get back to blogging SOON! Until then, please read some of my older posts and visit me on Facebook.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Men's Health Tea

I am married to the most wonderful, godly man. That's why I refer to him as "THE Man". . . because to me . . . well . . . he is. We will soon be married 31 years! WOW. Where did the time go?!

I try very hard to take care of him. He does deal with some issues as a result of a car accident he was involved in about 7 years ago. And . . . as with so many men . . . they turn into 8 year old boys when it comes to taking something for their own good ;-) ~ whether a supplement, a pain killer or sometimes even eating foods that are good for them.


But something that I recently mixed up is definitely a hit with THE Man, and that's my Men's Health Tea. 


He enjoys using my medicinal tea blends and I think it's because they don't seem like medicine, they taste like they are something good for you. When it's high allergy/sinus times, he asks for and enjoys my sinus tea blend. When he can't sleep, he asks for my sleep tea. When his back aches, he likes a blend that takes away the pain. And when certain "manly" issues began, he asked me if I thought I could "mix me up" a tea that would help?

Why, OF COURSE I CAN! :-D 

So, as I do so often, I started looking through my herbs, did some research and put together my own special blend. And THE Man REALLY likes it. He drinks at least one mug full and many times, two a day.

It's simple, it's easy, it's tasty and all you need to do is put these ingredients together in a glass jar to keep them fresh and you will have it whenever you need it. 

You Will Need:

**This recipe makes a large batch so that it's already mixed for future uses**

~~large 3-fingered pinches of . . . 

~saw palmetto berries ~ one of the most well known, and highly effective herbs for the prostate
~white willow bark ~ an effective pain killer that has been used for years, especially for headaches and joint pain
~nettle leaves ~ an anti-inflammatory that is one of the best herbal sinus relievers, opens up the breathing passages
~whole cloves ~ pain reliever, calming, warming and is just plain yummy in a relaxing mug of tea
~skullcap ~ a calmative and aids in relaxing, pain relief and even hysterics
~dried orange peel ~ a good dose of vitamin C for keeping his immunities built up
~holy basil ~ one of the best adaptogen herbs; calms, relaxes, and is wonderful for the adrenal glands for stress relief
~hyssop ~ wonderful healing, tonic herb; helps with joint pain, inflammation, muscle spasms, wrinkles, blood flow
~whisk
~small bowl
~glass jar with air-tight lid
~tea ball or infuser

Directions:

1) put the large 3-fingered pinches (or more) of each herb into the bowl
2) whisk the ingredients together until they are well blended but not so much that they turn to powder
3) carefully pour the herbs into the glass jar and keep in a cool, dry place

To Use:

~fill tea ball or infuser with 1 ts. of the mix per cup OR 1-1/2 ts per mug
~heat water to boiling
~put filled tea ball or infuser into a mug and pour hot water over the herbs
~let steep for at least 10 minutes
~add honey if desired
~enjoy

**NOTE** to make this a nice, soothing night time version, add a small pinch of Valerian root to an individual serving.

Let me know how your man likes this tasty, helpful blend.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

How Does My Garden Grow? . . . .

. . . Let me show you . . . 

This year, I didn't plant any veggies. With my busy schedule and because varmints got into my cucumbers, zucchini and squash the last two years, nope . . . didn't even plant tomatoes. I went the easy route and just planted herbs and some wild flowers. I'm still happy with what I have.

I have echinacea and lavender . . . 

echinacea, rosemary, sage, basil and English Daisies . . . 

I love my sage bush, it's now about 5 years old and when it blooms it's full of gorgeous purple flowers.

This year, I went with simply seeding the front bed with two large packages of assorted wild flowers and I couldn't be happier with how pretty and happy-looking they are.

I still have chamomile, dill, cilantro and oregano on my kitchen window sill. I'm debating whether to take them outside in planters.

Special kudos to our friend, Chet, who did all the preparing and weeding for me, this year, to make it look so good and to my DD#2 who often helps me keep it looking so nice and healthy.

What did you plant this year?

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<>< 

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#154~ Precious in the Sight of the Lord

Precious in the sight of the LORD

is the death of His saints.

O LORD, truly I am your servant;

I am your servant, the son [daughter] of Your 

maidservant;

You have freed me from my

chains."

~Psalm 116:11

". . . All the days ordained for me 

were written in Your book

before one of them came to be."

~Psalm 139:16

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." ~Rev. 21:4 

It seems that the last couple of months has seen much loss and many setbacks for our loved ones . . . 

 Safely Home

Ron DiCianni

A few weeks ago, a long-time friend passed away from a rare lung cancer. She had never smoked and was very self-aware about her body. It was simply amazing how it all crept up on her. She was diagnosed on April 7th and passed on June 7th. Her family is still reeling from the swiftness of it all, although they find much comfort that she is with the Lord.

  ~ Terri ~
such a sweet soul

Last week, a very dear friend lost her earthly battle with breast cancer and is now dancing through heaven. Her 5 girls and our 2 girls grew up together in our local homeschool community and played on our homeschool volleyball team. How much fun I had serving with and enjoying this sweet soul over the years ~ the daughter of missionaries, she grew up all over the world, spoke 8 languages with no accent and I OFTEN told her that I could sit and talk with her for hours at a time. Truly, one of the most interesting and entertaining people I've ever met. I will miss her smile and chuckle as she would shake her head at me and say, "You're so funny" or "You're a nut." lol. 

Two nights ago, a dear aunt lost her husband as he came to the end of a long, courageous fight with cancer. Sadly, he is the 2nd husband that she has had to bury. 

A few months ago, another dear aunt lost one of our family's favorite uncles. She is strong and courageous and even though she will surely waves of heartbreak, she too is rejoicing that he wonderful husband is with the Lord.

And on July 7th, a dear great-nephew of ours was in an ATV accident while on vacation with his dad and uncle (our nephews), 2 of his brothers (one who plays football at West Point) and a couple of friends. While he was driving, the road gave out from under them and he, one of this brothers and their friends went over a cliff!!! This nephew was the only one seriously hurt, he broke his back and partially severed his spinal chord. He cannot feel his entire left leg or his right leg from the knee down. He was about to start his Freshman year playing football at a KY college. He is now in a spinal injury facility in GA. Please keep him in your prayers.

Yes, this is a fallen ol' world, BUT . . . GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE! And He has a reason for all of this and it will all work out for His glory. No matter what we go through, or whether ~ in our opinion ~ we lose loved ones to an "untimely death," all of our days are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. NONE of these things are a surprise to God. He IS good and He sustains us through it all. Unless the Lord comes back soon, none of us are getting out of this alive. Why are we so stunned when He takes us home? I suppose it's the price we pay for love.

So . . . as we are not promised tomorrow, love each other today, preach the gospel with your life and rejoice when heaven gains one of our loved ones. 

Someday, someone will be rejoicing at our homecoming, as well.

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." ~Phil. 1:21

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><