Cold and flu season is officially here and, judging by the coughing fits and empty chairs of my coworkers who had to stay home, this year is going to be a bad one. So, of course, I've been turning quite a bit to my favorite natural flu fighting tea: Elderberry. Elderberries come from the elder plant, which grows naturally in Europe and a few other parts of the globe. Historically, elderberries have been used to fight inflammation, diseases, relieve skin conditions, help heal burns, and boost ... [ Read More ]
A Winter Guide for Essential Oil Blends
I still can't believe it's December, but regardless, winter is creeping in! 'Tis the season for giving and joy, but lets not forget wonderful Christmas smells! Rather than overspending on candles and scentsy's like I have in years past, now my essential oil diffusers is responsible for keeping my house smelling great! So, as a follow up to the fall guide for essential oil blends, I thought I would share with you guys my favorite essential oil mixtures for winter and Christmas. Not only will ... [ Read More ]
Tips for Extending the Life of a Live Christmas Tree
Growing up, we always had real, live Christmas trees. Some years we actually just went out and cut down a tree from our land while others we actually bought a live tree from the local store. Regardless, live trees are, in my opinion, far better than fake ones. There's just something about that smell and look that make live trees better than artificial ones. However, those live trees can be a bit more of a hassle and a bit more work. Fortunately, there are some hacks to ensure that your live ... [ Read More ]
11 Tips for Getting out of Debt
Debt is something that a lot of Americans struggle with, so there is definitely no reason to be ashamed. In fact, as of 2015, eight out of every ten Americans were in some sort of debt— and at least 38% of us have credit card debt. Getting out of debt is a lot easier said than done, and people often struggle for years with payments and interest rates! This is something you'll want to take care of before starting a homestead, as its a very frugal lifestyle that doesn't leave you with a lot of ... [ Read More ]
Non-Food Items You Should Always Have Handy
Prepping is all about being, well, prepared. It isn't necessarily about the end of the world barreling towards us, as many people probably think, but about being prepared for all types of emergencies— bad weather, losing your job, or even an economic depression. Most often, preppers start with food and water— which is great, because obviously you can't live long without those, but other items are often overlooked. So, I compiled a list of some non-food items you should try to have handy in ... [ Read More ]
10 Best Foods for Power Outages and Emergencies
Whether you consider yourself a prepper or not, power outages happen in the winter, and preparing for an emergency situation is never a bad idea. I remember we had a huge snowstorm here in the Midwest in 2007 or so, and some places lost power for almost two weeks during that time. We lived in the country and so, while we lost power for just under a week, we were perfectly fine. Our stove was gas, and we could melt snow for water so things were just fine, if not a little boring. So, with ... [ Read More ]
How to Make Your Own Bath Salts
Who doesn't love a nice spa experience? Getting one at home is probably easier than you expected— at least with a relaxing, aroma-therapeutic, candlelit bath. Bath salts are a great way to take your bath to the next level and can help you unwind, exfoliate your skin, and relieve sore muscles. Bath salts are easily purchased, but a lot of the store bought products are highly processed rather than all natural. The all natural salts are full of nutrients like magnesium, calcium, and potassium ... [ Read More ]
How to Prepare Your Chickens For Winter
For most of the year, chickens are actually surprisingly simple to care for and require little maintenance. However, making sure that your chicken coop is properly winterized is absolutely paramount to the health of your feathered flock—especially as the temperatures continue to drop. So, today, here are some things that to keep in mind in order to prepare yourself and your girls for the cold days ahead. ... [ Read More ]
25 Days of Christmas on a Budget
December is almost here! If it's anything like the rest of the year, this month will fly by and Christmas will be here before you know it. I know that Christmas expenses can add up pretty fast, with gift giving, the meal, and decorating. So, today I want to talk about 25 Christmas activities that you can do on a budget. Obviously, you don't need to do all of these activities to have a memorable Christmas, but with 25 options there should be something that fits the needs of both your family ... [ Read More ]
Old Fashioned Hot Cocoa Recipe
There is nothing better than hot cocoa on a cold winter's day. And now that Thanksgiving is officially out of the way, the weather here is already starting to cool down. I actually had to have my heater on last night and everything! So, of course, that means that it's officially time for hot chocolate!! While I simply adore hot chocolate, I've actually never been a fan of the pouches of hot chocolate, as I end up with really watery hot chocolate in my giant mugs. But two packages seems like a ... [ Read More ]