DIY - Flea & Tick be Gone

DIY - Flea & Tick be Gone

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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. 

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DIY Insect Repellent

DIY Insect Repellent

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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

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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

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