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 that your skin is the largest organ of your body? It's not just a protective barrier but also a gateway that absorbs what you apply to it. That’s why using homemade lotion as part of your natural skin care routine is more than just a luxury—it's a necessity.
Why Choose Natural Skin Care?
In our fast-paced lives, filled with financial and family challenges, it's easy to overlook the impact everyday products have on our health. Commercial lotions often contain harmful ingredients that can disrupt your body's delicate balance. Let's take a look:
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate in soaps is used industrially to remove grease and can damage your skin and disrupt immune and hormonal health.
- Phthalates are present in shampoos despite being banned from children's toys due to their endocrine disruption potential.
- Many household items like candles and air fresheners contain formaldehyde, a leading carcinogen. And fragrance which is a catch all for chemical scents and not required to disclose.
Switching to a homemade lotion can be a simple yet powerful way to protect your health and well-being. This is especially important for those seeking to nourish their families through natural living.
Benefits of Homemade Tallow Lotion
Creating your own tallow lotion has numerous benefits:
- Simplicity: Only a few natural ingredients are needed.
- Safety: You're in control of what's touching your skin.
- Cost-Effective: Perfect for tight budgets, offering more value than store-bought alternatives.
How to Make Homemade Tallow Lotion
Here's a simple recipe for homemade lotion that even Alice can fit into her busy farm life:
Ingredients
- 16 oz Rendered Tallow (a traditional, nourishing fat)
- 4 TBSP Olive Oil (for moisture and richness)
- 5 ml Essential Oil (optional, for fragrance; ensure purity, click here for my favorite brand)
- 2 tsp Starch (optional, reduces the oily feel)
Instructions
- Melt and Combine
Heat the tallow in a saucepan until liquid. Stir gently to speed up the process.
- Cool and Mix
Allow the liquid to cool to room temperature. Add the olive oil and stir until combined.
- Solidify and Whip
Place the mixture in the refrigerator to solidify. Then, allow it to warm slightly for easier whipping.
- Incorporate Extras
Using a hand mixer, whip until fluffy. Add starch and essential oil, whipping until fully incorporated.
This homemade lotion is perfect for those who desire a simple, nurturing solution to skin health, without the expense and risk of commercial products.
By choosing homemade lotion and natural skin care products, you're taking a step toward a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle. This change might seem small, but it's a powerful act of self-care and protection for you and your loved ones.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, remember that every small step counts. Join the Thriving Through Farm Life group on Facebook for more support and encouragement.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Thriving Through Farm Life: Wife’s Support Network! In our community, we embrace the challenges of farm life and provide a supportive space for wives facing the complexities of managing a family farm. Whether you're navigating financial pressures, day-to-day operations, or seeking ways to create a thriving home, we're here for you. Explore gardening and preserving tips for cultivating your own oasis, share insights on animal care, and discover practical family budgeting strategies. Together, let's grow through challenges, flourish authentically, and sow the seeds for a resilient and thriving farm life. Join us on this journey of resilience and abundance!
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So, I MADE MY OWN. You can look at it on the link below and buy it on amazon below.
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally from the Inside Out community!! This community is for Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically, all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years of my journey. We have moved off Facebook, to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly options for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
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.
Life on the farm brings many joys, but it also presents unique challenges—like keeping our beloved pets free from pests. For those of us with dogs, fleas and ticks can become persistent problems, especially during the warmer months.
In my own quest to protect our dogs without compromising the safety of my children, I've discovered a natural, non-toxic flea and tick repellent that aligns with our values and lifestyle.
The Need for a Safe Solution
Living in a rural setting, ticks are a constant concern. Until now, I relied on products like Bravecto or Frontline. But when my daughter was young, I embraced a more natural approach that’s safer for everyone—including my children, who love spending time with our dogs.
Our Non-Toxic Approach
After some research, I found a way to combat these pests using natural methods. I use the natural predator of ticks, guineas, to hunt them down one the outside yard area. In addition, I keep the grass shorter in the areas where the kids and dogs hang out the most. This makes those areas less attractive to the ticks.
For the constant problem of flies on the farm, I implement the use of fly predators and free ranging chickens to attack the flies. Regularly cleaning up the animal poop and composting it helps to control the habitat hatching areas too. My chickens have been trained to dig through the windrows of poop and find the bugs, thus turning my compost pile for me.
I also found a essential oil repellent recipe that offers a safe alternative to traditional chemical treatments, ensuring my kids can safely play with the dogs without exposure to harmful substances. When buying essential oils, make sure you are purchasing oils that are truly pure. There is a lot of mislabeling in the oil industry. I have linked the oils in the recipe to my favorite oils.
The Essential Oil Recipes
Spray (4 oz Bottle):
- 4 drops Purification
- 4 drops Citronella
- 1 drop Cedarwood
- 2 drops Palo Santo
- 1 drop Thyme
Fill the rest with water and shake gently before use. Spray as needed for fly issues.
Dropper (2 oz Bottle):
- 9 drops Palo Santo
- 6 drops Peppermint
- 6 drops Citronella
Fill the rest with water and shake gently before use.
Apply the dropper along your dog's back, starting at the end of April. Begin with applications every couple of days, then transition to weekly, and finally monthly as summer progresses. For continual replant of fleas, continue monthly through the winter.
Benefits of Essential Oils
Essential oils, when used correctly, can deter pests without the need for synthetic chemicals. Here are some of the benefits:
- Safety: Non-toxic for both pets and children.
- Efficacy: Proven to repel pests effectively.
- Peace of Mind: You can rest easy knowing your family is safe from harsh chemicals.
Empowering Choices for Farm Wives
As farm wives, we juggle many responsibilities and strive to make informed decisions that benefit our family and farm. This natural pest control method is just one example of how we can use simple, accessible tools to improve our lives.
By making these small, thoughtful changes, we nurture an environment that reflects our values and supports our goals—a thriving farm and a happy, healthy family.
Join Our Journey
If you're looking for more ways to live authentically and balance the demands of farm life, I invite you to join our community. Together, we can share solutions and support each other on this incredible, challenging journey.
Remember, every small step towards positive change is a victory. Here's to a pest-free and harmonious home for you and your loved ones.
Feel free to reach out with your stories, thoughts, or questions. Let's grow and thrive together!
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Thriving Through Farm Distress: Wife’s Support Network! In our community, we embrace the challenges of farm life and provide a supportive space for wives facing the complexities of managing a family farm. Whether you're navigating financial pressures, day-to-day operations, or seeking ways to create a thriving home, we're here for you. Explore gardening tips for cultivating your own oasis, share insights on animal care, and discover practical family budgeting strategies. Together, let's grow through challenges, flourish authentically, and sow the seeds for a resilient and thriving farm life. Join us on this journey of resilience and abundance!
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So, I MADE MY OWN. You can look at it on the link below and buy it on amazon below.
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally from the Inside Out community!! This community is for Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically, all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years of my journey. We have moved off Facebook, to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly options for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
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.
Have you ever heard of tallow? It may seem like a random thing on a beef carcass that no one thinks about, but it's actually quite useful. If you're a mom looking to save a few dollars on lip balm and eliminate toxins from your beauty routine, making your own lip balm from tallow might be an option for you. In this blog post, I'll share my favorite recipe for tallow lip balm that I love to carry with me on the go during the harsh winter months.
Tallow is rendered beef fat and has been used for centuries in many skin care products. Its natural fatty acids help nourish and moisturize the skin. Mixing tallow with other nourishing ingredients can make a great lip balm perfect for winter weather.
Here is a simple recipe for tallow lip balm:
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp tallow
- 1 tbsp beeswax
- 1 tsp honey
- 6-8 drops essential oil
Make sure to use a high quality pure essential oil to avoid nasties. You can grab some of my favorite brand with the link here
Instructions:
- In a double boiler, melt the tallow, coconut oil, and beeswax.
- Once melted, stir in the honey.
- Remove the mixture from heat and stir in the essential oils.
- Carefully pour the mixture into small containers or chap-stick tubes.
- Allow several hours for the mixture to completely harden.
Coconut oil and beeswax help to moisturize and protect the lips. Honey works as a natural humectant that helps retain moisture. Essential oils such as peppermint, lavender or grapefruit oil add a lovely scent and additional benefits to the lip balm.
Using tallow lip balm can help prevent dry and chapped lips during the winter months. It can be used alone or as a base before applying lipstick.
The easiest option to finding tallow is to ask your local butcher or farmer for beef fat trimmings. You will have to render it down yourself. You can find those directions here. Alternatively, you can also purchase tallow on our online store here.
Tallow lip balm is a DIY solution that is easy to create and customize. It can benefit your lips in multiple ways while saving you money and avoiding any harsh chemicals in store-bought lip balms. With just a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time, you can create a useful and nourishing winter necessity. Give it a try and let me know how it works for you!
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So, I MADE MY OWN. You can look at it on the link below and buy it on amazon below.
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Farm Loss Support for the Farm Wife group! This group is for support and helping each other to move forward. This group is NOT for venting, bashing, or wallowing in pity. My goal is to help others who have been where I was looking at losing the farm or losing the farm and wanting somewhere to talk where people would understand.
This is NOT for staying stuck in the trenches. It IS for moving forward in life, with purpose and sanity.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally from the Inside Out community!! This community is for Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically, all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years of my journey. We have moved off Facebook, to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly options for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
For more on wellness tips click here:
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
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.
Tallow is the rendered fat from beef carcasses, often overlooked as just a random thing discarded after butchering. However, tallow has numerous benefits and uses, including making your own lotion that is free from extra toxins found in store-bought products. For moms looking to save a few dollars while giving their hands some extra TLC during harsh winter months, this recipe for DIY hand cream made from tallow is perfect!
To make this nourishing hand cream, all you need is 1/4 cup of tallow, 1/8 cup of sweet almond oil, 1 tablespoon of beeswax, and 10-20 drops of your preferred essential oil. Make sure to use a high quality pure essential oil to avoid nasties. You can grab some of my favorite brand with the link here
The sweet almond oil adds moisture and nourishment, while beeswax helps with consistency and texture. The essential oil not only adds a lovely scent to your lotion but also provides skin benefits.
Start by melting the tallow, sweet almond oil, and beeswax in a double boiler over low heat. Once everything is melted, remove from the heat and let it cool for 5-10 minutes. This step is important to avoid adding essential oils to the hot mixture, which may impact their therapeutic properties.
After the mixture has cooled down, stir in the essential oils of your choice. Lavender is an excellent option for its calming properties, while peppermint can offer a refreshing sensation. Pour the mixture into small tins or containers and allow it to harden for several hours.
Once the lotion has hardened, it's ready to use! This DIY tallow lotion is suitable for everyone in the family, including children and babies. The presence of natural ingredients means that it's gentle for all skin types and provides nourishing moisture that lasts.
The easiest option to finding tallow is to ask your local butcher or farmer for beef fat trimmings. You will have to render it down yourself. You can find those directions here. Alternatively, you can also purchase tallow on my family farm’s online store here.
Don't let tallow be a forgotten part of cow meat and instead harness its benefits with this easy DIY hand cream recipe! It's not only easy on the pockets but is also free from unwanted toxins found in store-bought counterparts. With just a few ingredients and some essential oils, this homemade lotion will keep your hands and skin hydrated and soft all winter long!
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So, I MADE MY OWN. You can look at it on the link below and buy it on amazon below.
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Farm Loss Support for the Farm Wife group! This group is for support and helping each other to move forward. This group is NOT for venting, bashing, or wallowing in pity. My goal is to help others who have been where I was looking at losing the farm or losing the farm and wanting somewhere to talk where people would understand.
This is NOT for staying stuck in the trenches. It IS for moving forward in life, with purpose and sanity.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally from the Inside Out community!! This community is for Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically, all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years of my journey. We have moved off Facebook, to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly options for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
For more on wellness tips click here:
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
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.
When we think of beef, we think of steaks and burgers, right? But there’s another product of a beef carcass that may surprise you. Tallow - rendered beef fat - is an incredibly useful and versatile ingredient that can be used in cooking and even skincare! And for moms wanting to save a few dollars and eliminate harmful toxins from their lotions, making your own lotion from tallow might just be the perfect option for you.
First, let’s talk about the benefits of using tallow in your lotion. Tallow is rich in vitamins A, D, K, and E, which are all crucial for maintaining healthy skin. These vitamins can help soothe dry skin, reduce inflammation and redness, and even prevent or reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Tallow is also an excellent moisturizer that can penetrate deep into the skin, leaving it feeling soft and supple.
Now, on to the recipe! My favorite tallow lotion recipe is a modification of one from Jill of the Prairie Homestead. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 16 oz tallow
- 4 T olive oil (or other liquid oil)
- 5 ml essential oil (optional, but make sure to use a high-quality pure oil I recommend Young Living. You can grab some with the link here)
- 2 t arrowroot powder (optional, to reduce greasiness)
- To make the lotion, melt the tallow and allow it to cool to room temperature, but not harden.
- Add the olive oil and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
- Place the mixture in the fridge until solid, then remove and allow it to warm to room temperature. This will make whipping easier.
- Using a hand-held mixer, whip the tallow mixture until it appears fluffy like whipped cake frosting.
- Finally, add in the arrowroot powder and essential oils.
One of the great things about making your own lotion from tallow is that you can customize the scent and texture to your liking. You can choose any essential oil scent that appeals to you and adjust the amount of arrowroot powder to create a lotion that’s less greasy or more fluffy in texture. Plus, you’ll know exactly what’s going into your lotion - no more mystery chemicals or additives.
But why stop at lotion? Tallow can also be used in other DIY skincare products, like lip balm, body butter, and even soap. Its moisturizing properties make it an excellent addition to any skincare routine, and it’s an affordable and sustainable ingredient to use.
The easiest option to finding tallow is to ask your local butcher or farmer for beef fat trimmings. You will have to render it down yourself. You can find those directions here. Alternatively, you can also purchase tallow on our online store here.
Tallow may not be the most glamorous ingredient, but it’s certainly one to keep on your radar. Making your own lotion from tallow is a simple and affordable way to eliminate toxins from your skincare routine and nourish your skin with beneficial vitamins. Give it a try and see how your skin feels - you might be surprised by the results!
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So, I MADE MY OWN. You can look at it on the link below and buy it on amazon below.
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Farm Loss Support for the Farm Wife group! This group is for support and helping each other to move forward. This group is NOT for venting, bashing, or wallowing in pity. My goal is to help others who have been where I was looking at losing the farm or losing the farm and wanting somewhere to talk where people would understand.
This is NOT for staying stuck in the trenches. It IS for moving forward in life, with purpose and sanity.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally from the Inside Out community!! This community is for Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically, all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years of my journey. We have moved off Facebook, to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly options for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
For more on wellness tips click here:
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
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.
When you hear the word "tallow," what comes to mind? Most people probably don't think much about it, but it's actually a secret ingredient that you don't want to overlook. Tallow is rendered beef fat that can be turned into a variety of useful products, including household soap. Making your own soap from tallow is not only a cost-effective option, but it also ensures that you're not exposing your family to unnecessary toxins and chemicals found in commercial soaps. In this blog post, we'll dive deeper into the benefits of tallow soap and share a favorite recipe for you to try at home.
Benefits of Tallow Soap
First things first, why use tallow for soap? Tallow is an excellent source of nourishing fats that can benefit your skin and hair. It contains a high percentage of oleic acid, which is known for its moisturizing properties. In fact, tallow soap has been used for centuries to soothe dry and sensitive skin. Additionally, because tallow is a byproduct of the meat industry, using it for soap-making is a sustainable option that reduces waste.
How to Make Your Own Soap
Now that you know the benefits of using tallow for soap, let's dive into the recipe. This recipe I modified from Jill of the Prairie Homestead and is simple enough for beginners to try. Here are the ingredients you'll need:
30 oz tallow
3.88 oz 100% lye
11 oz distilled water
You will also need a stainless-steel pot, glass bowls, a soap form (can be a parchment lined cardboard box), and immersion blender. Anything the lye touches keep separately dedicated to soap from here out.
1. To make the soap, start by melting the tallow in a stainless-steel pot on medium heat.
2. While waiting, line your molds with parchment paper. If using silicone mold, skip this step.
3. Once nearly melted, put on safety glasses and gloves. Carefully measure the lye and water in separate bowls, yes, it is important to be exact here.
In an area with good ventilation, (not the basement next to an open window), carefully stir the lye into the measured water. Under the oven vent works well here.
Stir the lye/water mixture until it dissolved and let it sit for a few minutes. The water will become very hot due to the chemical reaction between the lye and water. Be careful when handling the container.
4. Place the melted tallow in a heat tolerant glass or ceramic or stainless steel bowl. Slowly stir the lye/water mixture in.
5. Using an immersion blender (it makes the process so much faster and doesn’t need to be a good powerful one), blend the tallow, lye, and water until you reach trace.
Trace looks like pudding forming and can take 3-10 minutes with an immersion blender.
6. Pour tallow mixture into forms and allow to rest for 24 hours.
7. 24-48 hours later cut the soap into bars. If you don’t like your fingers to tingle, wear gloves. The lye is still active.
8. Cure for 3 weeks. The lye will be completely gone by then and safe to use.
Using Tallow Soap
Now that you have your very own batch of tallow soap, how can you use it? The beauty of this soap is that it's versatile and can be used for a variety of purposes, such as doing the dishes, washing your body, washing your hands, and even washing your hair. It's important to note that because tallow is such a rich source of nutrients, you may not even need to use as much soap as you normally would. Hot water to rinse is key.
Where to Get Tallow
If you're interested in making tallow soap, the next question on your mind is probably where to get tallow. The easiest option is to ask your local butcher or farmer for beef fat trimmings. You will have to render it down yourself. You can find those directions here. Alternatively, you can also purchase tallow on our family farm’s online store here.
In conclusion, tallow may seem like an obscure ingredient, but it's actually a versatile and sustainable option for making your own soap. Not only is it cost-effective and eco-friendly, but it can also nourish your skin and hair with its high percentage of oleic acid. If you're looking for a fun DIY project that will benefit your family's health, give tallow soap-making a try!
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So, I MADE MY OWN. You can look at it on the link below and buy it on amazon below.
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Farm Loss Support for the Farm Wife group! This group is for support and helping each other to move forward. This group is NOT for venting, bashing, or wallowing in pity. My goal is to help others who have been where I was looking at losing the farm or losing the farm and wanting somewhere to talk where people would understand.
This is NOT for staying stuck in the trenches. It IS for moving forward in life, with purpose and sanity.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally from the Inside Out community!! This community is for Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically, all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years of my journey. We have moved off Facebook, to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly options for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
For more on wellness tips click here:
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
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.
One ingredient we use a lot in soups and other dishes is bone broth. I’ll be honest it used to scare me to make it. We use it in place of store-bought bouillon or stock. Why? No fillers, or preservatives. More real nutrients and its better for you. The good news is it is easy to make.
You will need bones, I like to keep species the same. A crock pot, or roster. Glass canning jars for storage. Below is an outline of the basic ingredients. You can change the flavor up by adding different vegetables or herbs. If you have some vegetables about to go bad, throw them in the pot with the bones!
4 pounds of bones (about 4 chicken carcass bones)
1-2 Onions
2T apple cider vinegar or 3T Braggs
3 Celery Stalks chopped
3 Carrots chopped
Sea salt and pepper
4 cloves garlic
2” knob of ginger
2 bay leaves
3 springs Thyme
3 springs parsley
Place all the ingredients in a crock pot or roaster. Add water until everything is covered. Simmer on low, about 200 degrees in a roaster, for 24-48 hours. Stir and skim the fat occasionally.
Remove the solids. Remove the bones from the vegetables and meat. Place the vegetables and meat in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the blended food back to the broth and stir. This will make the broth very thick. If you want a thinner broth, do not add as much blended solids back.
You can also remove the bones and use an immersion blender to blend the remaining solids.
You can freeze the broth in freezer containers, leaving 2 inch head space, or can using the directions below.
Add the broth into sterilized pressure canning jars, leaving 1 inch head space.
Wipe the rims clean and place lids on. I like to use the reusable canning lids from Tattler.
Place hot jars into the pressure canner and fill with water until water is 2 inches above the jars.
Process jars at 11 pounds psi for 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts.
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So I MADE MY OWN. You can take a look at it on the link blow and buy it on amazon below
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Helping Your Family Homestead for Food group! This community is for the Mommas, looking to stay home and raise their kids, but unsure how to keep everyone fed and make ends meet. I share tips from my journey from the office, to half the income and feeding my family from home, while maintaining good nourishing food. 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.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally From the Inside Out community!! This community is for the Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years if my journey. We have moved off Facebook, so to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly option for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
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If you are caring for footed animals, eventually you will encounter a foot abscess. Horses tend to be the most likely to both having a foot abscess and developing complications from it. Cattle can also develop foot abscess, as can sheep or goat, but not as commonly. All animals will appear more tender or lame on the affected foot, and the foot will feel hot to the touch. How it is treated after that depends on the animal.
Cloven footed animals, (cattle, sheep, goats, etc.), are fairly simple to treat, if you use antibiotics. If the foot abscess is not treated, it can spread to other tissues, joint, tendon, or bone. If this happens the animal is as good as dead, as treating is very difficult. When in doubt consult a veterinarian with livestock experience. Typically, the antibiotic treatment is a Liquamycin or Biomycin. Most cloven animals are difficult catch and get to stand still long enough to soak a foot. If your animal is that calm, you can use some of the horse treatment methods.
Horses are a bit different. If is much easier to soak a horse foot. It is also much more important to get the infection taken care of. When a horses foot is inflamed, as in the case of an abscess, the laminae (the glue that holds the outside of the foot to the inside), also become inflamed. Sever cases of this turn into laminitis. If this happens to a great extent, the coffin bone will rotate and poke through the sole of the horse’s foot. A horse in this condition will never live a comfortable life and should be humanly euthanized.
To treat a foot abscess, the horse needs to have basic ground manners and be halter broke. If it is not, refer to the cloven animal’s treatment and watch closely. You will need a hoof pick, bucket, Epson salts, cold clean water, a size 3 or bigger diaper (depending on the size of hoof), vet wrap, and duct tape.
First catch the horse and gently lead to a level area close to a water source, a hose is quite helpful here. Clean the horse’s foot out with a hoof pick, then use the hose to rinse the hoof and lower leg. Add ¼ - ½ cup of epson salt to the bucket and fill with water (an ice cream pail works in a pinch). Gently place the horse’s hoof into the bucket of water and carefully hold it there. The first time the horse may jump a bit but should soon relax into the water. The epson salt helps draw the infection out. Soak for 10 minutes or as long as the horse will allow.
The key now is to keep the hoof clean and allow the abscess to drain/work out, this is where the diaper comes in. Place the diaper onto the bottom of the hoof, back of the diaper to the heal of the hoof and fasten around the foot.
Next wrap the foot with vet wrap, over the diaper. You will wrap the foot over the top and bottom of the foot, covering the diaper completely, with multiple layers. If the horse is 3-legged lame, you will want to just order a case of vet wrap. It is good to keep on hand for all animal injuries and works well for human band aids too.
Finally, take the roll of duct tape and wrap over the top and bottom of the foot, just like you did with the vet wrap. You will use at least half the roll. Again, have several rolls on hand.
Depending on how lame the horse is, how frequently you need to repeat. Watch the horse and you will see. At first 1 time per day is probably needed. As the horse improves, you can extend that time. Continue treatment until the horse is no longer lame. If you see no improvement, consult the veterinarian.
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So I MADE MY OWN. You can take a look at it on the link blow and buy it on amazon below
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Helping Your Family Homestead for Food group! This community is for the Mommas, looking to stay home and raise their kids, but unsure how to keep everyone fed and make ends meet. I share tips from my journey from the office, to half the income and feeding my family from home, while maintaining good nourishing food. 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.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally From the Inside Out community!! This community is for the Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years if my journey. We have moved off Facebook, so to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly option for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
Click here to get the stories straight to your email:
For more on wellness tips click here:
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
For more simple DIY updates click here:
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.
First off I am not a veterinarian. I have simply been around animals a long time and had my fair share of abscess draining. At some point if you have animals, you will encounter an abscess. Abscess form when an infection starts under the skin and then the body walls it off to protect itself. These happen often from a bit, scratch, or small wound. Large wounds tend to drain and are quickly noticed, therefore delt with and heal without abscess.
The good news is usually abscess are fairly easy to deal with at home as long as they aren’t to big yet. When in doubt or the abscess feels hard, call your veterinarian. To drain an abscess, you will need a syringe, scalpel blade (hooked works best), gentle iodine, and something to shave the area clean. All of these you can typically find at Tractor Supply or Orschlens.
The first thing you want to do is to feel the abscess (called palpating). You are feeling to see if the abscess is hard or soft. Can you feel the edges? Are they defined or not. Does it feel hot to the touch? You are gathering information that will help you decide if a call to a veterinarian or not and where you should place the cut to drain it.
On question people often ask is does draining the abscess hurt the animal? The best example is like popping a pimple. Does it hurt? A little, but the relief feels wonderful. Most of the time the animal doesn’t even move when you make the cut.
First step is to shave the lower part of the abscess where you will cut (called lancing) the abscess. You want to get rid of most if not all the hair in the area that could catch any of the drainage. If drainage builds up, it will close the drain site before the infection is cleared up.
Second at the BOTTOM of the abscess take your scalpel and make an incision. Size is dependent on the size of abscess and animal. However usually ¼ inch is enough. If the skin is too tough, a large gauge (14 g preferred) needle can work to start the drain. At this point you should be able to gently squeeze the top and have stuff drain out the bottom. If it is liquid, you are in luck! The abscess is recent and hasn’t become heavily infected yet. If it is whiter and cheese consistency, The abscess has been incubating for a while and you may want to consult a veterinarian for antibiotics or more thorough flush.
Third, gently massage the abscess from top to bottom working as much of the fluid out as you can. You want to work all edges and almost dig deep into the tissue to scoop the fluid towards the drain.
Fourth, draw up some of the gentle iodine into a syringe. This is the one part that will tend to burn a bit. Much like your mom cleaning out a nasty cut when you were young. Take the tip of the syringe and insert into the opening you made. Gently squeeze the iodine into the abscess and massage up to completely work it into the abscess cavity. Once the syringe is removed, the iodine will run out and that is ok.
Keep an eye on the abscess, but it will slowly heal up. If you see fluid building back up in the abscess, check the drain site. Reopen if necessary. You can make a small incision in the top and wash the cavity with boiled and cooled water. To do this fill your syringe with the water and insert into the top incision. Slowly move the syringe around, while squeezing the water into the abscess. Then flush with gentle iodine in the same manner. This will flush any debris caught in the cavity out the bottom, kill any bacteria, and allow the abscess to then heal.
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So I MADE MY OWN. You can take a look at it on the link blow and buy it on amazon below
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Helping Your Family Homestead for Food group! This community is for the Mommas, looking to stay home and raise their kids, but unsure how to keep everyone fed and make ends meet. I share tips from my journey from the office, to half the income and feeding my family from home, while maintaining good nourishing food. 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.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally From the Inside Out community!! This community is for the Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years if my journey. We have moved off Facebook, so to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly option for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
Click here to get the stories straight to your email:
For more on wellness tips click here:
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
For more simple DIY updates click here:
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.
To keep roses, or berry bushes healthy, they need to be pruned every year. This trains the bushes how to grow and makes them more productive. The best time to prune the bushes is actually winter or very early spring. All the energy reserves are in the roots at that time and most of the foliage has dropped making it easier to prune. You want to make sure you prune before they start waking up in the spring.
When pruning, first cut all the dead wood back to the base. You will know it is dead wood by cutting into. The dead wood is all brown, green is alive. If you are unsure, cut high to start then lower if needed.
Next you want to take out the branches that cross, as they can damage other canes (the bush branches) and cause disease. After those, remove any small weak growing canes. These are anything smaller than a pencil in diameter.
Finally prune the remaining canes by cutting ¼ - ½” about an outward facing bud eye. This is the small bump where the leaf would meet a stem. This will encourage the bush to grow outward instead on inward, reducing disease. Be sure to look for a bud at least halfway up the cane. If you cut to low and the bush is a hybrid, you will cut it back to the wild-type base. Make your cuts at a 45-degree angle towards the outside of the plant. This allows water to run off, also reducing disease.
Make sure you clean up all the branches and leaves from the base of the plant. If your feeling generous, add a little compost while your there to feed the bushes for the next year. Most bushes are heavy feeders and require quite a bit of nutrition to bloom properly.
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So I MADE MY OWN. You can take a look at it on the link blow and buy it on amazon below
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Helping Your Family Homestead for Food group! This community is for the Mommas, looking to stay home and raise their kids, but unsure how to keep everyone fed and make ends meet. I share tips from my journey from the office, to half the income and feeding my family from home, while maintaining good nourishing food. 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.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally From the Inside Out community!! This community is for the Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years if my journey. We have moved off Facebook, so to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly option for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
Click here to get the stories straight to your email:
For more on wellness tips click here:
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
For more simple DIY updates click here:
