Homemade Natural Deodorant, So Good For You!

Homemade Natural Deodorant

Let me say this before I begin praising this product.  It is a deodorant, not an antiperspirant. Remember that sweating, while sometimes inconvenient, is natural! It is your body's way of releasing toxins and impurities, and it is our bodies cooling mechanism . So you can imagine what happens when you force those toxins to stay inside with the use of an antiperspirant. Links have been found between the aluminum in antiperspirants and Alzheimer's disease and even breast cancer. The other ingredient in commercial deodorants that really gets me is propylene glycol, which is also the main agent in antifreeze.  Hello!  Do you really want to put antifreeze on the largest organ in your body, your skin?

The Fence Project Completed!

The Fence Project Complete!

As I mentioned in the post about Kahn and Kheli, the fence surrounding the house property took us way longer to finish than we had expected.  But, it's finished now, and we are enjoying having the dogs running free and keeping out unwanted neighborhood creatures.

Kheli and Kahn - Doing So Well!

Kheli and Kahn

Haven't said much lately about our Livestock Guard Dogs from Clear Creek kennel. Thought it was about time I shared some of the experiences we've had with them these last few months.  It took us longer than we thought to finish building the fence around our two acre property on which the house sets.  During this time, Kheli and Kahn spent their time in the enclosed chicken yard.  They went for walks daily, and truly looked forward to it every evening.  Now that they are free, they are enjoying their space very much.

Our Meat Chickens Are Ready!

Those are the "thumbs up" of Hannah and Sarah!

I didn't know when we began this journey if I was capable of doing this - raising live creatures for food and then eating them.  Well, I did it, and I didn't have a problem with it.  I kept the mindset from the beginning that this was for food, and never had any second thoughts about it.  As for the chickens, the process was extremely humane.  They are rendered unconscious with a stun gun, it takes a second, then while unconscious the processing begins.  In a matter of seconds they are finished and ready to bag, cut up, or whatever you want.  Quite an operation.  I'll let you know how they taste in another post.

Intensive Anti-Aging Face Moisturizer!

Intensive anti-aging face serum

My daughter-in-law, Michelle, asked me a little while back if I had found a recipe for an intensive moisturizer to treat fine lines and wrinkles on the face.  I hadn't used anything else on my face since I created the Dewy Moisturizer with Aloe, but her question got me to thinking (and that can be dangerous sometimes).  So began my search, and low and behold, I discovered this formula on DIYBathBodyAndHome on You Tube.  I usually like to tweak my formulas with some of my own ideas, but this time I kept it the same with the exception of a fragrance oil.  I added my favorite Fresh Cut Roses Fragrance Oil, and not only does this little miracle in a bottle feel wonderful on the skin, but it smells wonderful too!  Even my cat likes the fragrance!  Roses are his favorite flower, he eats them!

Make Your Own Homemade Vanilla Extract?

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Many years ago, when our children were very young, we had the privilege of travelling to Haiti.  I had relatives there who were missionaries to Haiti.  I won't go into the spiritual awakening that happens when seeing poverty face to face like you never dreamed possible, that would be for another post.  But, while there, we were directed to the most flavorful vanilla extract I ever sampled.  I have longed for that vanilla over the years, and wondered why we couldn't have something of that quality and flavor here in the States.  Well, as I've mentioned before, I do love Pinterest, and found that I can have that quality of vanilla extract if I want to make it myself.  I then began a search for quality vanilla beans, and found some at Vanilla Products USA.  Not only do they have excellent beans that are packaged to stay fresh with good pricing, but along with the beans they send instructions on how to make your own vanilla extract.  And, I just noticed that they have the instructions directly on their site.  So, here is a picture of the vanilla I was able to make with their 30 bean Assortment of ten of each, Madagascar Gourmet, Madagascar Extract, and Tahitian Grade A vanilla beans. It's extremely fragrant, quite dark in color, and the flavor is fantastic!  Why not try it?

Carpe diem! Lil and Bill