Magic Sleep Potion

Everyone is talking about essential oils. What are they? Where do you get them? Do they work? I am no expert! My daughter in law got me started with them. At first I thought they were like scented candles....just made your house smell nice. Boy was I wrong! Yes, they can be diffused to make your house smell nice, but they are so much more!

I use Young Living Essential Oils (you can find out more about their oils HERE) mainly because that's what my daughter in law sells (you can order through her HERE and her # is 3204205 or you can contact her directly at Jimena.kilgore@yahoo.com) She did a lot of research before signing on with Young Living and I trust her so.... I'm sure you can find oils easier and cheaper somewhere else but...you need to be sure that what you're buying is pure and not full of artificial junk and preservatives...that's the point of what we're doing here right??

There are literally thousands of "recipes" using essential oils for everything under the sun. Some work, some don't, some work for me but not for you. Scientific, I know! The one that sold me though was Lavender. I haven't slept well for years and it was beginning to take a real toll on me. I was taking sleeping pills every night, and then they stopped working. It was either take more sleeping pills or find a better solution.

 
I stopped taking the pills. I plugged in my diffuser and added the lavender. I will admit I was a skeptic...how was water and oil on my bedside table supposed to help me sleep? But an amazing thing happened...I fell right asleep and stayed asleep all night long! I woke up in the morning amazed!
 
That was the first time I had slept all night in....years! Is this a miracle? Voo-Doo Hippy magic? All I know is, it works! And I have other magical recipes that I will be sharing with you too!

 

 

Be sure to check out my Parties! page to see even more great ideas!

"Voo-Doo Hippy" Body Wash

Have you ever read the ingredients on the back of your body wash, deodorant, or shampoo bottle? This was one of the main things that convinced me to go "natural" or as my kids call it "voo-doo hippy"! I always knew there were chemicals in these things, I guess I just chose to ignore it....until now! I'm in the process of replacing all my "personal care items". Once the store bought runs out, I'm making my own!

The first item I decided to make myself is body wash. I've searched pinterest over and over again and tried a few different things. This is the recipe I've been using. I can read every ingredient. Everything is organic and was actually tested on an animal and she wasn't harmed and in fact smells very nice now!

BODY WASH:

Ingredients:

1 Cup Castile Soap
3 Tsp Vitamin E Oil
3 Tsp Coconut Oil
4 Tbsp Glycerine (makes it foam)
10 Drops of Essential Oil (I used Peppermint and Lavender but you can use any)

I tripled this to fill an old body wash bottle.

Just mix it all together in a separate container so it mixes well, then pour (use a funnel, don't ask how I know!) into your bottle of choice. Keep in mind if you use any citrus oils you should use a glass container (maybe not a good idea in the shower!)

This is not thick and luxurious like store bought body wash. This is thin, but don't let that fool you!

You only need a little on your shower pouf (what are those things called anyway?) the glycerin really makes it foamy! The vitamin E and coconut oil are great for moisturizing your skin (you can add more of either if your skin is really dry) I've been trying some different shampoos and conditioners and trying to get my hair accustomed to being washed every other day....I'm still working on it....but will let you know when I get it figured out!

I'm Partying at:

http://tidymom.net/2016/green-food/
http://www.iheartnaptime.net/link-party-palooza-133/

Ham Bone Soup

In my efforts to make most of our food from scratch I decided to use the bone from the ham we had earlier in the week to make soup. I love soup. Soup and fresh bread can't be beat. If I can make it in the crock pot all the better! Here's what I did.

Ingredients:

Ham bone
leftover ham (cut in bite size pieces)
3 carrots (cut up)
3 celery ribs (cut up)
1/2 an onion (diced)
7  or 8 potatoes (cut in bite size pieces)
(I leave the skins on...that's where all the nutrients are)
about 2 cups of Corn (fresh, frozen, canned...I had leftover from dinner)
4 or 5 garlic cloves (minced)
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
6 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
(or whatever it takes to almost fill your crockpot)
2 cups heavy cream

Directions:

Put the bone in the crockpot first then all the veggies, ham, bay leaves and salt and pepper. Pour broth in until almost to the top of the crockpot. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-5 hours, just until carrots and potatoes are tender. Remove the ham bone (give it to your dog...she will love you forever!) With a potato masher, mash up some of the potatoes to thicken a little then stir in the heavy cream, let cook a little longer just to warm the cream. So yummy!! This made A LOT! I froze 1/2 of it for another day!

 

I am partying at:

http://www.gingersnapcrafts.com/2016/02/wow-me-wednesday-245.html#more

http://snapcreativity.com/show-205/

http://thediydreamer.com/from-dream-to-reality/show-off-your-creations-206/

http://www.thethriftyhome.com/

 

We're Going off the Grid!

My name is Amy and I'm a Crunchy-Wanna-be! A little backstory....My husband and I have been married 25 years, we have 3 boys, 1 St. Bernard, a Kitty, a Guinea Pig and soon to be a Grandson! We've lived all over but have recently bought 10 acres closer to our families. We've decided to try and live a life as naturally as possible.



Not quite! For us it means getting rid of the garbage. No more processed foods or artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners, grow as much of our own food as possible, try homeopathic routes first. This blog will be about the ups and downs, successes and failures, what worked for us and what didn't. I will be sharing real food recipes, homemade/DIY beauty and household recipes, and maybe even some DIY décor! I hope that I will be able help others in their efforts to live a more natural life.