General

General — No Comments
27
Sep 15

View From My Window – A Sweet Little Harvest

IMG_1025It is harvest time here on the farm. We have had a great year in our gardens so we have lots of work to harvest everything when it’s ready. I’m so thankful our children and grandchildren love to come and help.

The grandkids love to ride on papa’s tractor, run in the fields and help us to harvest in the garden. At least they think they are helping. Dean sometimes ponders whether it might go a little quicker without all the little hands (and the occasional little tantrum :o) here to help.

Of course sometimes it would. But we both know that if you don’t let little ones help when they want to ( and aren’t really any help), they probably won’t want to help when they are older, when they can really be a big help. If you want to instill a good work ethic, you have to teach them when they are little and really not much help. But even if they might make the chore a little longer, we know they are worth the investment of our time.  And they always bring a smile to our face.

Essential Oils / General — No Comments
31
Aug 15

Alabu Tea Tree for Skin Health

I-Love-Tea-Tree-400Our Tea Tree soap is made with goat buttermilk and Shea butter. We add Lavender essential oil to balance it out. It is a favorite of people with skin problems, because it’s moisturizing plus you get the medicinal properties of Tea Tree oil. Many folks use Tea Tree soap in conjunction with Tea Tree Body Butter to ease the symptoms  of skin problems during the winter months.

Skin Care Tip
Tea Tree oil has natural anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. By adding itl to our Shea Body Butter, you get a very good multipurpose lotion.

Tea tree can be useful in helping to ease the symptoms of eczema, psoriasis, fungal infections of the nail, diaper rash,  acne, and other problems like athlete’s foot, head lice, poison ivy and ringworm. It is also used as a local antiseptic for cuts and abrasions, for burns, insect bites, boils, toothache, infections of the mouth and nose, sore throat, and for ear infections.and.

Some people add a Tea Tree diluted in a carrier oil and add it to bath water to treat cough, bronchial congestion, and pulmonary inflammation.

We have 3 products containing Tea Tree and we have put them together in the I Love Tea Tree Collection.

I Love Tea Tree Collection

  • 1 Tea Tree Soap
  • 1 Shea Body Butter Tea Tree
  • 1 Tea Tree Lip Balm”
General / My Life and Family — No Comments
30
Aug 15

View From My Window: Carpal Tunnel

I’ve had carpal tunnel pain on and off for years. If you do a lot of repetitive motion you are more prone to get it. I think mine started 20 years ago when I did a lot of canning. About 4 years ago I had some tests done and surgery was suggested. I decided to try alternative therapy first. I splinted my hands at night and did stretching exercises during the day. It really helped for about 3 years. But it had gotten to the point that it was keeping me awake at night and nothing was helping anymore.

I finally just had the surgery.  I thought it was funny that after I had my surgery I found out my brother had his other hand done on a Tuesday, my little sister that Wednesday and me on Thursday. Anyway, after surgery you are only restricted by your pain, not that bad, but I pretty much didn’t do anything at all for two days. I also had to keep it dry (yeah, I wasn’t very good at that, but I’m really good at re-bandaging). By 2 weeks l thought I had full use of my hand but found out clipping Chia was a little too much too soon. But my hand hasn’t bothered me at all at night since the surgery. So I’m happy that I finally had it fixed.  A big thank you to Dr. Ferrara for a great job and for being so nice.

Anyway I just thought I’d share my experience since I know a lot of people also experience carpal tunnel pain.

 

General / Spotlight — No Comments
29
Jun 15

Independence Day

a2a27ec0-eb1c-43d6-ba95-ffd2d689958cWhat is The Fourth of July? Is it just the first holiday of summer or another day off from work for a party? In the past it was always called Independence Day and there is a reason for that. Independence Day celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by delegates from the 13 colonies in 1776. The Declaration of Independence changed the course of history. It celebrates the experiment of a new kind of government. For the first time in history, the people, not kings or conquerors, would rule a nation. Elected delegates would vote; representing the will of the people, because they declared it is a natural right for man to be free.

After the vote, John Adams writes to his wife, Abigail: “Yesterday the greatest Question was decided, which never was debated in America, and a greater, perhaps, never was or will be decided among Men. A Resolution was passed without one dissenting Colony ‘that these united Colonies, are, and of right ought to be free and independent States, and as such, they have, and of Right ought to have full Power to make War, conclude Peace, establish Commerce, and to do all the other Acts and Things, which other States might rightfully do…’ This . . . Day . . . will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. . . . It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”

So on this day, July 4th 2015, Independence Day, have a party, celebrate, have fun, just remember what you should be celebrating. I am celebrating the fact that I have the ability to worship God, live my dream, be independent and own my own business making our healthy skincare products! What about you? What are you remembering and honoring about the fourth of July?

Around Us / General / My Life and Family — No Comments
28
Jun 15

View From My Window: Startling Creatures

 

Snapple TurtleIt seems as if all creatures great and small have come to life around here lately. We are always happy to see the hummingbirds come back, but there are a few creatures I’d rather not see. Although it is better to see them so I can avoid them I suppose.

So far we have seen lots of deer (hope they are not checking out the menu in my garden), turkeys, fox and pileated woodpeckers. I almost ran over 3 woodcock chicks when I was wheeling mulch to the garden; it startled me when I saw the mom fly away and I stopped in my tracks until I figured out where all the babies were hiding in the grass. Then while I was mulching, I was startled again by a large toad, also not a big deal once I realized what it was.

Dean inadvertently picked up a small northern brown snake in the mulch he was bringing me; he was deposited in a bucket and brought back home on Dean’s next run to the mulch pile. These are all creatures that can startle but I’m not really afraid of them. Then Dean pointed out that there was a large snapping turtle out near the garden. It was a really big snapping turtle. Ok, that is one I am afraid of. It made me shudder to think my little grand babies ( I know they are not quite babies anymore) were out playing just an hour before we found the snapper there. Fortunately Dean is not afraid of much and he asked Mr. Snapper to get in a bucket and he was able to move him to a swampy area away from where my precious grandbabies play.

 

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