Essential Oils

God is good! He provides…everything!

I’ve been looking up information about essential oils since I started using them almost a year ago. Do they really work? What does each one do? Which company is better? Does it really matter where they’re grown? I try to include the benefits of whatever I’m using in each post, but that’s as far as I’ve gotten.

Here is a great series that was mentioned on Facebook this morning about just this topic.

I hope it helps you make informed decisions.

Whole New Mom – The Great Essential Oils Showdown

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Lavender Salt

I’m not a soaking in the tub kind of person, so I don’t use bath salts. However, I do like to soak my feet. My feet get dirty, sore and dry all the time. I wear flip flops most of the time, pretty much year round. My feet are always exposed to the elements, but I don’t want them to look like they are.

First of all just let me say, to combat dry skin anywhere takes more than just external skin care. It takes hydrating your body from the inside with plenty of water, eating healthy, exercise to keep everything circulating and then adding nutrients to the outside.

I like a simple Lavender Salt soak. It’s easy to make and does wonders for my feet. I follow up with a little scrub or pumice rub and some foot cream massaged in  and topped off with a pair of white cotton socks. Ah… It doesn’t get much better than that…unless chocolate is involved.

This jar contains:

Epsom Salt-4 cups. (Magnesium Sulfate) Draws out toxins, regulates enzymes, heals skin, releases magnesium into your body (which most people are lacking), helps reduce pain, swelling and improves absorption of nutrients. *Having adequate amounts of calcium helps absorb magnesium, which helps prevent tooth decay. To name a few.

Dried Lavender- 1/2 cup and Lavender Essential Oil (get it here)- 10 drops- Calming, anti-asthmatic, relieves itchiness, rejuvenating, anti-depressant and antiseptic…and so much more.

Other Options:

Using any of the follow essential oils can add to your soak accordingly.

Tea Tree Oil– Antiseptic, antibiotic, anti-fungal, antiviral, helps with acne, congestion and sunburn.

Peppermint Oil- Anesthetic, antiviral, antibacterial, helps with congestion and headaches, improves energy and mental clarity.

HERE is a more comprehensive list of properties of essential oils.

What do you think about the new label?

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Making Laundry Soap Powder

All natural, chemical free laundry soap is cheap and easy to make. The basic recipe contains Washing Soda and a pure soap. Other “basic” recipes might include Borax and essential oils. They aren’t necessary, but boost the power of the soap and add scents. From there, there are many levels of ingredients to add.

This recipe makes 1 gallon for 64 loads.

You’ll need:

3 bars pure soap (Fels-Naptha, Zote, Ivory, Castile…)

1 box Borax

1 box Washing Soda

Essential Oil of Choice (40 drops) (I use Lemon with either Lavender or Orange)

Bowl, Knife, Grater, Grinder/Food processor (I use small coffee grinder because that’s what I have), Measuring cup.

How to:

Pour 1 box each of Washing Soda and Borax in the bowl.

Cut the soap into small pieces to grate and put into the grinder/processor. I used to only grate the soap, but it kept separating from the powder. Now I put it in the food processor to make it a powder and it stays mixed.

Use about 1/3 of the bar at a time for a small grinder. Add about 1-2 Tbs of the powder mix to the soap before grinding to keep it from clumping.

Before pouring it back into the bowl, add a few drops of essential oil per each of the batches for a total of 40 drops.

Pour back into the bowl. Repeat with the rest of the soap.

All the powdered soap should be gently stirred in with the rest of the powder mix. *You might want to cover your mouth and nose with something as the powder with be in the air.

*You might have an invisible layer of soap powder on your arms and hands when you’re done. Don’t forget to wash up. No need for soap 🙂

Pour into a container with a lid.

How to use:

Add 2 Tbs (1/4 Cup) (I add it to the water before adding my clothes)

BUY IT HERE!

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Chicken Emergency

We’ve had several mishaps on our backyard city farm. It’s always sad when a “pet” is injured or dies, but it is a part of life. An emergency this week has prompted this look at the sadder side of farming with a happy ending.

We lost our first hen to a heart attack. She flew over the 6′ fence while we were gone for a couple of hours. Our loyal guard dog (the mixed something from the SPCA) pinned her down until we got home. There wasn’t a single mark on her, but she was literally scared to death.

The next one was poisoned when we left a pool of cleaning water out. The chicken flew over the fence early in the morning, drank out of the pool and died. (I was cleaning tiles to recycle and ended up not even using them). Another reason to go chemical free.

We had two feather footed chicks that both only lasted about 6 weeks and then just died. I read later that they are susceptible to diseases and not very hardy.

We had three, at various times that were attacked by predators and died. I think it had to be possums.

The injuries are harder to deal with than the deaths. The deaths are over and that’s the circle of life. The injuries are ongoing and you hope the best for your girls. We had one that was attacked by a new puppy. She was shaken up and limped for a few days, but now she is completely healed.

One week ago today, the same new puppy, attacked one of the girls that found a loose board in the fence and snuck out. By the time we heard the commotion and got the dog off the hen, she looked pretty bad. I really didn’t think she was going to make it. I brought her in the house and put her in a dog crate full of hay. I gave her water and food and left her alone for the night. I knew she was in shock and needed to calm down. The next morning I was expecting her to be dead, so I was surprised when she was standing up watching me. I took her out and looked at her injuries. It was pretty bad. Most of the feathers on her back from tail to head were gone and she had a hole in her back. The good news is it didn’t look too deep, but it was wide.

I did a lot of reading about how to apply first aid to chickens. Some sites said use one thing another site said use something else. I know from my research on essential oils that tea tree oil is good for healing but too potent to use by itself. So I poured a mixture of olive oil and tea tree oil all over her back. I left her another day. For the next several days I let her walk around the house (yes cleaning up chicken poop, thank God for tile floors) and putting her in the garden when it wasn’t raining.

Last night while I was putting the animals up, she flew over the garden fence, walked across the yard, risking being seen by the dogs, to where the chicken coop is…so I let her in. This morning, I opened the chicken coop and sat in the cage for a while watching her interaction with the other girls. There was a little pecking back and forth, but not too bad. Another surprise. I was expecting them to peck her to death, she had been out of the cage for a week now and still has a big scab on her back. She looks like she’ll be alright and everyone seems to be back to “normal”, whatever that is. Thank God!

Now back to the new ducklings…and even newer baby chicks!

*Photos by Dena Speropulos

Making Natural Glass Cleaner

Streak-free, Clean smelling, all natural glass cleaner.

You’ll Need:

3 cups water

1 cup vinegar

essential oils – I use about 5 drops of Tea Tree and 5 drops of citrus scented.

Spray bottle

Process:

Pour all ingredients into bottle and give a little swirl.

To Use:

Spray and wipe with a paper towel or glass cloth.