Wildflower spotlight: Yarrow

Wildflower spotlight: Yarrow

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you.

You know what I love about native plants? They are easy to grow and survive basically on their own! They can handle a drought, they can handle weeds, and a lot of what mother nature throws at them. They also usually self seed and therefore are easy to have year after year, without a lot of work. My dad and I go back and forth on what is a weed and what is a flower. Most my my herbal plants he would honestly call a weed. Anyway, two amazing resources for herbal remedies are Medical Herbs: a Beginners Guide and Midwest Medicinal Plants.

Last year I discovered a small patch of Yarrow in my horse pasture. Once it had flowered and was starting to seed I took a few top cuts of the seed heads,  and took them to where I wanted some in my garden. I made sure to leave several established plants in the pasture just in case this crazy idea didn’t work. I put a small cage around them so the dogs didn't disturb the spot and waited for spring. I was shocked this spring when I was cleaning out the weeds and discovered a few small Yarrow plants coming up! They were the first to come up. Now I have a small patch in my garden and in the pasture. 

Once it started to flower, I took a few of the leaves and flowers to make a tincture. I saw more younger plants coming so I wasn’t too concerned about leaving enough for seeds. I took only a couple stocks from the flowering plants so they would continue to grow and have reserves for next year. Later this fall I plan to harvest some more to hang dry for use this winter in teas. 

Yarrow is excellent at helping to stop bleeding. Use as a poultice or tincture by applying topically to the bleeding wound. Yarrow can also help to dispel stagnant blood in bruises. You can make an ointment for bruises. It is also considered a bitter herb that can help stimulate stagnant or sluggish digestion. It has also been known to help stimulate the peripheral immune system during a cold and flu. 

Why a tincture? A tincture is a plant infused in alcohol. It has a very long shelf life (years). Keep it on hand as one more tool in your tool box, that doesn't really expire. 

Yarrow Tincture:

  • A glass jar to fill

  • Fresh Yarrow leaves and Flowers

  •  Alcohol 80 proof or above

  1. Harvest when in full bloom and scent is strong. 

  2. Loosely pack leaves and flowers into a jar. Fill the jar with alcohol until leaves are covered by 2 to 3 inches. 

  3. Place in a sunny spot and shake daily to mix. Allow to infuse for 4-6 weeks (write the date on the jar) you won’t actually remember when you started it. 

  4. strain the material from the liquid and place liquid in an air tight sealed glass jar. 


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Mulberry Syrup Adventure

Mulberry Syrup Adventure

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So one of my Facebook friends, Lisa, had a post about this delicious sounding mulberry syrup. I had some mulberry trees in my yard I wanted to do something with, but did not have the ambition for jam or jelly. I asked my friend for the recipe. What was even better, was it was so simple! Recipe is at the bottom :) 

I called up my friend Nicole, to share my idea! Of course she was in. Two mom’s, 6 kids under 5, shouldn’t be too hard right? Go ahead and laugh now, it’s ok. Thankfully we didn’t have to go anywhere other than my yard. 

So we set out one Thursday morning, with kids cranky and colander in tow. The first tree was already past and the birds had taken most of it. The good thing with mulberries is where there is one, there is probably more. So we headed into the windbreak. Sure enough we found one along the back side of the trees. Kids taking turns with the colander, me in a tree, Nicole picking what she could from the ground and catching what I threw down. Kids snacking on the pickings, winning, and seeing what they could find on the ground. 

Once we got about 2 cups worth we called it good and headed back to the house. Neither of us do winning kids well. The kids got to playing and we headed to the kitchen. Remember the simple I like? Blender, pan, cheesecloth, and a jar was all we needed. We didn’t wash the berries, because we knew what had been on them. If you are gathering wild, I recommend washing them with Fruit and Veggie Soak. Pat them dry then blend them up. Squeeze through a cheesecloth,  or mesh strainer, into a pan. Add sugar, boil and jar. We were done in under 30 minutes in the kitchen! 

Later that week my sisters visited and we cooked up pancakes and sampled it. It was delicious! Kids approved too! It keeps in the fridge for two months without canning too!

Recipe:

  • 2 cups mulberries

  • ¾ cup of sugar

  1. Blend mulberries in a blender

  2. Strain through cheesecloth into a pan

  3. Add sugar and bring to boil

  4. Turn off heat and Jar (makes ~1 8oz jar)

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Home Grown Chick Feed

Home Grown Chick Feed

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When looking through the Encyclopedia of Country Living, I found guidelines for making your own chick feed. I decided to try my hand at making my own feed since we have an old grain grinder in the garage.  The basics to a chick diet are finely ground corn, oats, and wheat, a protein source, and greens. Their diet needs to be 20% protein. Protein can come from fish meal, meat meal, small portion of canned cat food, chopped hard-boiled or scrambled eggs, clabbered milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, or bugs, or a combination of.  The more variety the better. Greens, such as alfalfa meal or leaves, clover lettuce, dandelion, cress, chives, grass, spinach, finely chopped weeds, supply many of their vitamins like Vitamin A. Young chicks need ground eggshells or oyster shells for calcium, unless there is another source of calcium. Chicks can become picky about what they eat so keep it changing if you can. 

Basics: 2 parts grain, 1 part protein, 1 part greens. 

I picked up a bag of oats when we picked out the chicks. We had plenty of corn for the  cows, and we had left over milk replacer from calves and lambs. For the first batch, I chose the milk replacer to fill the calcium and vitamin source. There weren't a whole bunch of chicks the first time, so I wanted something easy. I ground the oats and corn as fine as I could. I ground in large batches and measured out what I needed. I then did 2 parts grain to 1 part milk replacer. I would then bring in some weeds and shred them into the feed tray. As soon as the days were warm enough and the chicks moving good, I opened the chick door to the outdoor pen. I also started only refilling their feed at night to train them to come in at dusk. 

As the chicks became about a month old, I coarsely ground the grain, and mixed in fine ground eggshells for calcium, reducing the milk replacer to ½ part. They were also out eating bugs and weeds at that point, so I did not feed as much protein. 

Around a month and a half I started giving them the scraps of fruit and veggies the kids didn’t finish, or left over peels from the kitchen. They also come to the call of “here Chick-Chick” because food is usually coming! As they grow into layers I will continue with about the same ration. They will be free ranging most of the day, so the grain is mostly a treat to get them to come in at night and lay eggs in the coop. 

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Lilacs Useful

Lilacs Useful

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I have this bush out by the pond that is very fragrant and beautiful in the springtime. I was here when we moved, but I really haven’t done much with it. This year in my effort to make the most out of my property, I decided to see what I could do with these beautiful blossoms. 

Turns out these fragrant blossoms are not only good for flower arrangements, but they are also edible! After looking I decided to make 3 simple recipes to start: Lilac infused honey, lilac infused sugar, and lilac jelly. The first two simple, the third, more steps, but fairly simple. 

First for anything you have to pick the blossoms when they are in full bloom. If you are picking with small children, place the blossoms in a bucket so you don’t lose them. After you are done picking, place them in a shallow pan OUTSIDE for an hour. This will let the bugs crawl away without bringing them into your house. I made the mistake of not waiting and spent just as much time smashing bugs as I did separating the blossoms. 

While you’re waiting, you can get your supplies ready. You will need sugar, honey (local is best, especially if you're dealing with seasonal issues), air tight jars, and hot water. Once the bugs have left, you can start the process. I stripped the blossoms off the bush, then had to pick the stems and leaf pieces out. Possibly took more time, but easier and safer with little ones than doing it all by the pond. 

Now the fun part! Boil water for the jelly. While you’re waiting on the water, lightly pack 2 cups of blossoms into a jar for the jelly to infuse overnight in. Fill your sugar jar ¾ of the way with sugar and place blossom petals on top of the sugar. Add sugar on top of the petals, to weight down, then seal and shake the jar to mix. Lightly pack a third jar for honey. 

The water should be boiling by now. Pour 2.5 cups over the blossoms destined for jelly and let sit overnight. Add honey to your jar slowly, it will take a long time to filter down through the blossoms. When you come back the next morning the honey blossoms will have floated to the top, simply stir and use. You can use the honey right away or let it sit and no need to filter out the blossoms!

Lilac Honey

  • Blossoms

  • Honey

Pack the jar with blossoms. Slowly add honey letting the honey settle amongst the blossoms. Fill until all blossoms are covered. Stir before use to distribute the blossoms and enjoy. 

This is great over biscuits, toast, scones, and more!

Lilac Sugar

  • Blossom Petals

  • White Sugar

  • Seal able jar

Fill the air tight jar ¾ with sugar. Place petals on top of the sugar. Add more sugar to weight down to petals. Seal the jar and shake to mix. 

Add to tea or coffee for a slight floral taste. Add to your cupcakes or desserts for a lovely lilac flavor. 

Lilac Jelly - ~ 8 4 oz jars

  • 2 c packed blossoms (no leaves or stems)

  • 2.5 c boiling water

  • ¼ c lemon juice

  • 3 c sugar (lilac sugar is amazing)

  • 1 box Jello pectin (4 T)

Place blossoms in a jar and add boiling water. Allow steep 8 hours or overnight

Strain the water. You should be left with about 2.25 cups of lilac infused water.

You can then start the Jelly making, or let the strained water sit in the refrigerator overnight. 

Sterilize 4 8oz jelly jars. Heat the lids and rings, but do not boil

Place water infusion, lemon juice and pectin in a pot and bring to rolling boil

Add all the sugar and return to boil for 1 minute stirring constantly. Skim Foam if needed and remove from heat. 

Ladle jelly into hot sterilized jars leaving ¼” headspace. Wipe the rims and screw on the lids. 

Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes (add 1 minute for ever 1,000 feet above sea level)

Remove and cool overnight. Label and store. 

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The Crazy Idea Happening

The Crazy Idea Happening

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For the planning stages of this crazy idea check out the blog post: The Crazy Chick Idea.

Now where to get the chicks? I talked to another friend and they got their chicks from Cackle Hatchery. They shipped to you as well! I looked it up, at this point I was back to I don’t really know what I want for the price I could afford. She recommended a Surprise Box, if you’re not picky about what you want. Remember my primary goal? Bug control. As long as they were eating bugs, the eggs are a side bonus. She was also willing to let me buy some of her guinea chicks she was getting at the end of June.

I hopped on the sight and found the earliest I could get a Surprise Box was JULY! I finally had my coop, I didn’t want to wait until June/July to fill it. So I got 10 chicken chicks from Orschlens to start and experiment with on May 22nd. The kids enjoyed picking them out and I can barely keep my daughter out of the coop.

For a brooder box, I used an old kiddy pool the dogs had poked a hole in and put old shirts on the floor to prevent slipping. We then used wood shavings from the wood planer. If it was colder we definitely would need something with bigger sides to help trap the heat. I plan on using a large cardboard box for the next ones, since they will be day old when they arrive. I had a heat lamp and bulb from when we cleaned out an old barn. You can also get the heat lamp on amazon here and bulbs here

We lost one of the little chicks at the end of May, and we had a dog mishap middle of June, all others look healthy and are eating quite well. They have some of their adult feathers, are enjoying their outside pen and eating kitchen scraps. The dogs are the next question as the older one is obsessive over the chickens. 

The guineas should be arriving next week. The chicks will be in the pen by then, and possibly starting into the yard. The Surprise Box will arrive at the end of July and the guineas should be transitioning to the pen by then, and the chickens in the yard. I’m excited for the staggering of the chicks coming in to give me a chance to figure it out. Stay tuned for updates!

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The Crazy Chick Idea

The Crazy Chick Idea

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with no additional cost to you.

Early this year I had this crazy idea to get birds to help with bug control around our house. The fly predators help with the stable flies, but none of the other bugs. I shared the idea with my husband and he was very supportive, telling me to figure out what birds I wanted. After researching I found the best bug control to be guineas. And a bonus they are low maintenance. That was my kind of bird! Low maintenance, bug control, and a side bonus of eggs! The next step was figuring out what they needed and how to care for them. 

Turns out guineas like to nest on the ground, feeling hidden, and don’t want their eggs found (don’t let them see you take them). I know we have predator issues, but as long as the birds stay in the yard (once the dogs are trained to them) predators should be minimal. I still plan on locking them up at night in a coop. 

I also liked the idea of having ducks. But after consulting with friends, I discovered they were messy and I’m not sure I want to deal with that. So I decided I’d get a couple and see. If I can’t stand the mess, I would just not hatch any of the eggs. My dad gave me an awesome resource for Christmas this year. The Homestead Encyclopedia is loaded with everything from gardening to birds, to processing, and preserving. It even had recipes for making your own chick food!

I designed a coop that could house multiple types of birds and have room to grow, in January. I tend to design buildings by how big can I make it, in the space available. Nothing is more frustrating than getting going and wishing you had more space. It was a 16’ X 16’ simple building, below. I ran the idea past my husband and he was on board. I then let everything sit for months while I waited for the building to start. I wasn’t going to get birds until I had a building. 


In May I happened to be scrolling Facebook and saw a coop for sale. I ran the idea around my husband again. He loved it, especially since there was no post in the ground yet for the coop we were going to build. And it was at about the same cost of what we were looking at to build it, even if it was slightly smaller. We picked up the coop. My husband (bless him) replaced a few of the rotten floor joists and moved it into the tight space. I then started working on the fence, for the young chicks, made some repairs, and added the roosts and boxes. The small pen will give the dogs time to adjust to the chicks, and me a chance to train them to come in at night. 

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DIY - Fly Spray for Horses

DIY - Fly Spray for Horses

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I have wanted to make my own fly spray for my horses for more than a year now. The one fly spray I found that actually works for an extended period of time, was loaded with stuff I didn’t want around my kids. I had to make sure my 3 year old didn’t get a hold of the bottle to “help” and had to make sure I sprayed the horses down after my special needs riders were done brushing and picking the horses feet. Mostly I just wasn’t using it unless absolutely necessary (like the horse would not stand still due to the flies biting). Read all the way to the bottom for the recipe I found to work. 

Looking this spring, I found a “greener” spray that had peppermint, rosemary, citronella, lemongrass, and geranium. I had talked with my sister, in Oklahoma,  and she was using lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, and citronella in a spray, while feeding lavender and citronella, with good success.  I also found a recipe calling for peppermint, citronella, purification, eucalyptus globulus, tea-tree, cedarwood, and thyme. 

So I mixed my own to test it out. The first batch I made had peppermint, citronella, purification, eucalyptus, tea-tree, cedarwood, and thyme (it had most of the other recipes plus). I then tested it against the old spray, left legs with the mix, right leg with the old stuff. Day one, by the end of the day the old stuff was still working. 

So I added a little rosemary, lemongrass, and geranium (may as well right). This combination seems to last almost as long as the old stuff. WIN! Now I just have to keep it out of my daughters reach.

I also started feeding them citronella, lavender, and lemongrass essential oil. The older horses also started getting peppermint to help them keep cooler and eating. Caution! Only feed essential oils that you know are absolutely pure, with no contamination or fillers. The company I use have a fantastic Seed to Seal commitment and have the highest standards for their oils. 

Fly Spray of Horses (16 oz bottle)

1 capful Thieves Household Cleaner

7 drops Peppermint

15 drops Citronella

10 drops Purification

7 drops Eucalyptus Globulus

5 drops Tea Tree

7 drops Cedarwood

6 drops Thyme

6 drops Rosemary

6 drops Lemongrass

6 drops Geranium

Fill with water and gently shake before use. 


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DIY - Flea & Tick be Gone

DIY - Flea & Tick be Gone

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with no additional cost to you. This blog was updated August 15, 2024. You can read that here.

Let's talk about the nasties with pets, fleas and ticks. Typically I have given our dogs bravecto or frontline. The ticks are nasty around our house, and the flies eat the dog’s ears raw every summer. The dogs try to hide from the flies and are constantly scratching at their ears. I’ve tried baby oil on their ears in the past and even sprayed them with the horse’s fly spray to give them some relief. The baby oil worked the best, as long as it was wet, but as soon as it was dry the flies were back. My daughter loves to hang out with the dogs and loves them, but I realized I don’t want to apply anything to dogs that I don’t want her to get on her.  Which meant I needed a new dog pest control plan.

We already use fly predators for the stable flies, which helps immensely for the horses. I also plan on getting guineas and other birds this summer to further take care of bugs around our house, without having to apply chemicals. My kids love to be outside, so I don’t want to have to worry about what has been applied to the yard that they will be running barefoot through.

This year I decided to try something different. Something that would hopefully prevent the problem from ever starting. I went searching and found spray for the pesky flies, that like to eat the dog’s ears, and a dropper for the fleas and ticks. The dropper I applied it like you would frontline, down their back, starting at the end of April. I did a slow jumpstart of sorts for both dogs, applying it every couple days for a week, then once a week, then once a month (I’ll adjust if needed as the summer progresses). So far the dropper has been working to keep the ticks at bay and I really haven’t noticed the flies yet. The best part is it doesn’t matter if my two little kids are climbing and petting the dogs right after, because any of these oils are safe for my kids when they are pure.

Spray                            Dropper

4 oz Bottle                       2 oz Dropper bottle

4 drops Purification      9 drops Palo Santo

4 drops Citronella         6 drops Peppermint

1 drops Cedarwood      6 drops Citronella

2 drops Palo Santo        

1 drop Thyme               

Top with water and gently shake before each use. 

Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Courageous + Purposeful Mommas group! This community is for the Mommas, mommas to be, in the midst of raising, and kids grown, looking for tips on building your family up and providing for them through natural methods. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious, and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision.

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DIY Insect Repellent

DIY Insect Repellent

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with no additional cost to you.

Summer fun is quickly ruined by bugs and no one wants that. Read all the way to the bottom for a fantastic bug repelling recipe. But with little ones who want to be outside more than inside, what do you use? The OFF says not for children. How do you keep having fun without the bug bits? I found a great one that worked, even on the pesky no-see-um bugs, that was safe for all ages! If you're not much for DIYs you can purchase that bug spray here.

The insect repellant was perfect, then in the middle of the summer it went out of stock! To make it worse, I was almost out after using the same bottle for a year! NOOOOO, now what?!? So I started looking for recipes I could make that were kid safe and I could make myself.

We started using the new spray whenever my little girl would go outside, just a quick spray down her arms and legs as she went out the door. The results? Whenever she would slip out without the spray, she would come back with at least one bite. She then started asking for it whenever we went outside. No more mosquitos, or flies, or gnats! Win! The next spring she was swinging with Grandma and informed me she needed to be sprayed because the flies were bothering her.

I also started using this on our 2 dogs ears to keep the flies from eating on them. My poor Australian Shepherd/Border Collie has ears the flies love to burrow into. It worked on them too! You will need a 4 oz glass spray bottle for this recipe.

Keep off Me Bug Spray

  • 5 drops of each
    1. Purification
    2. Peppermint
    3. Citronella
    4. Lemongrass
    5. Eucalyptus Radiata
    6. Thieves
  • 2 oz Witch Hazel
  • 2 oz Water
  • Shake before each use
Now off to enjoy the bug FREE fun days ahead!

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DIY Lotion

DIY Lotion

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with no additional cost to you.

Did you know your skin is the largest and most permeable organ of your body? Its primary job is to protect you from foreign substances, like dirt and large bacteria. Just about anything you put on your skin will end up in your bloodstream and be distributed throughout your body. Once these chemicals find their way into your body, they tend to accumulate over time because you typically lack the necessary enzymes to break them down. What we put on our skin matters.

This is why I'm so fond of saying "don't put anything on your body that you wouldn't eat if you had to." What you'll notice if you browse through the ingredients in any of my personal line of natural skin care products is just that – ingredients you'll know and recognize, like organic coconut oil, orange oil, or rosemary extract.

Did you know most lotions contain substances harmful to your body? Check out your products and see if they have any of these chemicals. 
  • Soaps: sodium laureth sulfate - chemical used to remove car grease off floors. It can be damaging to the skin and disruptive to immune and hormonal health.
  • Shampoos:  phthalates - banned in children's toys, but still used in cleansing products.  It is a known endocrine disruptor and very hard for the body to break down. 
  • Candles and Air fresheners: Formaldehyde - #1 cancer causing chemical. This is what they use to embalm at the morgue....
  • Household cleaners: 2-butoxyethanol - known to cause sore throat, narcosis, severe liver and kidney damage. 
  • Laundry detergents and dryer sheets: alpha-terpineol, benzyl alcohol, and camphor - all cause central nervous system disorders, loss of muscular coordination, central nervous system depression, headaches, nausea, and vomiting. 
  • Fragrance: a broad category that hides hundreds of chemicals.  Fun fact. Companies are not required to reveal the actual chemicals in each "fragrance", keeping the public in the dark about what the true toxicity of the products are. 
  • Talc, bismuth, parabens, lead, mercury, and mineral oil: all found in store bought skin care and makeup products.  They can disrupt the endocrine system, are highly carcinogenic, and have even been found in tumors.
So what do I use for lotion?!?! 
I make my own. After trying several recipes, I have found one I like that works for all seasons and it is simple. I use it and my kids use it. 
  1. Soften Shea butter (l like to use a double broiler)
  2. Mix coconut oil into butter until fluffy (about 15 min)
  3. Stir in essential oils. I use 15-20 drops of Frankincense, Lavender, and Geranium
  4. Store in glass container

Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Courageous + Purposeful Mommas group! This community is for the Mommas, mommas to be, in the midst of raising, and kids grown, looking for tips on building your family up and providing for them through natural methods. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious, and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision.

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