Homemade Natural Bug Repellent
Natural Bug Repellent
Most bugs sprays are pretty toxic and smell terrible. This natural bug repellent will keep you safe from toxins and unwanted critters. Using powerful citronella, this safe and effective bug repellent can be used on everyone in your family. With mild winters, most unwanted pests haven't been killed off.
Now is the perfect time to get started on putting together this natural bug repellent, since it takes a few weeks to steep the citronella. You can also make your own citronella candle.
While there are a good bit of recipe cards in this blog, I love a recipe that is so straight forward that you don't need one. People lean so heavily on being told exactly what to do any how to do it, but do we actually learn that way? This recipe for natural bug is vague on purpose. This is "recipe" is very forgiving and is effective if it doesn't "set" perfectly into a balm.
Let's Make It
To begin, you'll need enough fresh citronella clippings to fill a quart jar. Dry them using a dehydrator, oven, or leave them out in the open air until dried through. Don't use fresh citronella, as the oil can go rancid.
Top the jar off with fractioned coconut oil. Let it steep for 5-6 weeks. Using a cheesecloth over a glass bowl, strain the citronella out.
Noting the amount of liquid you were left with, mix the coconut oil with equal parts beeswax and shea butter.
Melt and stir mixture over a double boiler until beeswax is melted and everything is incorporated.
Very carefully pour hot liquid into jelly jars or balm tins.
The Easy Button
You can also purchase Young Living's citronella essential oil or cedarwood essential oil to use as your own bug repellent. Be mindful that when applying essential oils to the skin, you should use a carrier oil. Typically, I'll take a teaspoon of coconut oil in my palm and add a few drops of essential oil then rub it together and apply it around my ankles, arms, and waistband to prevent bugs, especially ticks
How to Make Beef Tallow for Skincare
How to Make Beef Tallow for Skincare
Use this recipe for the purest render of beef tallow with no odor. This is the best for my nourishing whipped tallow balm recipe.
Beef tallow is well-known for its incredible skin healing properties. With loads of bio-available nutrients that your skin will drink up. Nourishing beef tallow contains similar oils to our own skin and is a remedy for dry skin, diaper rash, chapped lips, scars, sunburn, and so much more. I've even used it as a make up remover.
I spent YEARS fighting acne, all through my teen years and through my 20's. I tried anything and everything to get rid of it - from prescriptions to water and everything in between. Nothing ever worked. Then I switched to goat milk soap and tallow balm, that's it. My skin has been better than ever for over a year now.
Ditch your toxic skin care products that are making your skin worse and swap them for nourishing beef tallow.
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Homemade Elderberry Syrup
Homemade Elderberry Syrup
Cue the angels singing. Elderberry syrup has skyrocketed in popularity over the last several years as more folks are turning toward home healing and learning what they can do on their own to support their family's bodies. This homemade elderberry syrup is very easy to put together and can last for up to three months.
We take elderberry syrup during sick season and if we've been exposed to someone who was sick as a standard does of 1-2 teaspoons for kids and 1 tablespoon for adults, once a day. If we are sick, we take the same dose every 2-3 hours until symptoms disappear.
Elderberry Benefits
Elderberry has traditionally been considered a medicinal plant. It can support a strong immune system and may even alleviate respiratory conditions such as cold and cough. High in flavonoids, elderberries are thought to reduce the risk of heart disease and are beneficial in lowering blood pressure and managing diabetes. Add in my homemade fire cider and have the double whammy of natural immune support - there's even a kid-friendly fire cider version!
[mv_create key="26" thumbnail="https://hayfield-farm.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/HF-Pinterest-Pins-35.png" title="Homemade Elderberry Syrup" type="recipe"]Reusing elderberries: If you'd like to keep the berries, you can simmer and strain them one more time to make a tea.
Sourcing quality ingredients: Be sure that you are sourcing quality elderberries. Ideally, your honey should come from close to home for you in order to receive the seasonal allergy relief that local honey offers.
Be sure to never eat raw dried elderberries, as they are toxic when dried.
Kid-Approved Fire Cider
Kid-Approved Fire Cider
If you've ever had a traditional fire cider, it can be a little spicy, a little vinegar-y. Not something that's easy to compete with bright purple, bubblegum flavored mainstream medicine when it comes to convincing your kid to take a swig. This kid-approved fire cider adds a great bit of raw honey to soothe those intense flavors.
Getting your kids involved in making the fire cider may also encourage them to want to try it! Still a no? Try adding a few tablespoons to some warm tea. Have a tea party.
Either way, this fire cider is antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antiviral, making it a perfect choice for fighting off any sickness.
This recipe is simple, measure with the heart. Add a lot of raw local honey to sweeten it up.
Kid-Approved Fire Cider Recipe
- Large glass jar with a lid
- Orange slices
- Lemon slices
- Fresh Ginger Slices
- Garlic Slices
- Raw Honey
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Add orange, lemon, ginger, and garlic to your jar to fill, leaving 2-3 inches of space at the top.
- Muddle/smash ingredients down for a minute or two to release juices and flavors
- Add 1/2 cup or more of raw honey
- Top off with apple cider vinegar
- Screw on the lid and give it a good shake
- Leave it on the counter for 3 days
- Strain
- Compost scraps and store liquid in the jar in the fridge.
- At signs of cold symptoms, take a few tablespoons a day.
How to Make an Herbal Tincture
How to Make Herbal Tincture
An herbal tincture is essentially herb-infused alcohol. While herbs and oil will eventually get you essential oils, herbs and alcohol will get you tinctures.
Herbal tinctures are an excellent way to benefit from medicinal herbs. They are easy to put together and are shelf-stable for years. The easiest way to make an herbal tincture is through the process of maceration. Maceration is the process of soaking herbs in liquid (water or alcohol) for several weeks; it is the go-to tincture method for at-home herbalists.
What is Menstrum?
Menstrum is the liquid portion of a tincture. The menstrum will extract the properties from the herb. It can be water, alcohol, vinegar, or, sometimes, glycerine. Most folks use vodka or everclear.
Calculating the amount and ratio of menstrum to herb can be as easy or as complicated as you'd like to make it. However, most herbalists use a 50% water and 50% alcohol as their menstrum and that will get you an effective tincture with no issues.
While there are plenty of resources for getting very specific with your menstrum ratios depending on the types of herbs and accounting for loss, we are going to keep it simple in this guide and use dependable ratios to get us a solid product each time.
Menstrum to Herb Ratio
Most herbalists will use the following ratios:
- Fresh Plant Tinctures 1:2 ratio, with 95% ABV menstrum
- Dry Plant Tinctures 1:5 ratio, with 50-65% ABV mentrum
When making fresh plant tinctures, each 1 gram of fresh herb is macerated (soaked) in 2 milliliters of almost pure alcohol (Everclear) for optimal extraction.
For tinctures made from dry plant materials, each 1 gram of herb is macerated in 5 milliliters of menstruum with an alcohol content of between 50 and 65% (double-proof vodka).
Herb Preparation
Dried Herbs
Chop your dried herbs into small pieces, they do not need to be powdered.
Kitchen shears are the best tool for this. When using barks, roots, berries, or mushrooms that are difficult to cut with shears, put them into the blender for a few seconds, just enough to break them up.
Fresh Herbs
Typically, you'll only need the leaves. Be sure to wash and dry them before use. Roughly chop the herbs. Refer to ratios above.
How to Make an Herbal Tincture - Lemon Balm
In this guide we will make a lemon balm tincture. Lemon balm is incredibly easy to grow, as it is in the mint family. It calms anxiety, promotes sleep, and aids in digestion.
Lemon balm is an incredible tincture to have on hand postpartum. It eases the night-scaries and mild anxious feelings and belly discomfort that come with postpartum. Lord knows we need help with in the sleep department, too.
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Disclaimer: This information is intended only as education and is not a replacement for professional health advice.
Homemade Magnesium Spray
Homemade Magnesium Spray
Magnesium is a staple for relaxation. While folks usually go for a bath or foot bath, this homemade magnesium spray is easy to absorb and apply when you're in a pinch. Magnesium has been shown to reduce stress and enhance sleep. It's also shown to support hormone function and provide energy support. These magnesium chloride bath flakes are the best.
During pregnancy, my feet (along with the rest of me) were very swollen during the third trimester, IYKYK. I was also sleeping terribly, as expected. Magnesium foot baths gave my feet incredible relief, helped set up a relaxing environment, and I slept as good as someone good when they have a pumpkin-sized gymnast attached to them.
Once the baby came, I definitely needed all the support I could get with hormones, sleep, and reduced stress. Between the cluster-feeding and contact naps, I didn't have the time to continue with my evening foot soaks. Sure, I could steal away for a bath every now and then, but I felt like I needed support each night. That's where this homemade magnesium spray really came in handy. Now, I use it on myself and my one-year old during out bedtime routine.
Homemade Magnesium Spray Recipe
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Hormone Healing Chamomile Latte
Hormone Healing Chamomile Latte
Looking to heal those hormones and reduce your caffeine intake, but don't want to lose out on your five minutes of morning peace with your coffee? This hormone healing chamomile latte is the perfect alternative if you're trying to go caffeine-free with a creamy, dreamy latte.
Maca powder will add hormone support and healing since it is an adaptogenic herb. Try making your own vanilla extract it's so easy!
By cutting out caffeine you can dramatically reduce the stress on your body and reduce the amount of time your body spends in a parasympathetic state.
I started to notice that in the mornings, when I was working from home, before the nanny my stress was high. Very high. I felt panicked, I was irritable, and it started my day off so poorly. It is a stressful situation to try to get yourself ready for the day, a baby ready, breakfast, coffee, fire up the laptop for work, get through a few emails. I'm already pretty high-strung. The absolute last thing I need is caffeine.
I switched to organic swiss water process decaf coffee at first. Having that hot mug in my hands while I distract my babe with scrambled eggs and smushed blueberries is just bliss. I needed something. Then I decided I wanted to support my body with my morning drink, that's when I switched to these hormone healing chamomile lattes. Still creamy and delicious just like my coffee, but supports my body instead of depleting it.
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Low Cost Ways to Humidify Your Home
Low Cost Ways to Humidify Your Home
Using a few of these simple, low-cost tricks, you can easily add moisture to your interior air every day and humidify your home without expensive humidifiers.
During the dry winter days, humidity in your home can drop significantly. When indoor humidity drops below 30 percent, people are likely to experience chapped skin and irritated, sinuses, eyes and nose. When indoor humidity is low and then you mix in cool dry air and wind, our bodies can react with dry skin and lips.
Using heat sources, you'll be able to transfer water vapor into the air easily without an expensive humidifier. While humidifiers are extremely useful, they are often expensive. Especially so if you chose one that doesn't have internal valves, as humidifiers are notorious for getting moldy.
Benefits of Increasing Humidity in Your Home
Not only will increasing the humidity in your home keep your chapped lips and dry skin at bay, but it will also help prevent illnesses. Keeping the mucus membranes moise in your eyes, nose, and throat create a natural barrier to prevent infection from seeping in.
Bowls of Water
Place bowls of water on surfaces around your home to increase humidity in each room. Putting these bowls on window sills is ideal, as the sun coming in will help evaporate the air faster. Be sure to keep these bowls away from high traffic areas and keep them up high so children and pets cannot reach them and cause accidental spills. See, now all of those cups of water by your bed are actually for good use.
Use Your Radiators or Vents
If you have built-in radiators in your home instead of central heating, use these radiant heat sources by placing your bowls of water on top of the unit to humidify the rooms in your home. Be careful, as bowls may get hot. If you do have central heat, place bowls near the vents in your home so that the air can blow the additional moisture around the room. Be sure that these are safely away from electrical outlets or an area where they will be spilled.
Boil Water on Your Stove
Boiling water on your stove quickly evaporates water to boost humidity in your home. You can even add a few essential oils if you'd like. Be sure that you keep an eye on the pot and never leave it unattended. Set a timer in case you are doing a few things around the house, so that you don't forget.
Leave the Bathroom Door Open
While you take a shower, leave the bathroom door open to let the humidity flow throughout the home. If you prefer to take baths, don't drain the water immediately. Instead, leave it in the tub until it cools and then drain it.
8 Ways to Help your Winter Blues
8 Ways to Help your Winter Blues
The days are shorter, it's dark, gloomy, and cold. You don't need many more excuses to stay inside, cancel plans, and curl up on the couch in front of your phone, laptop, and TV all at once. While decreasing our screen time is huge for kicking those winter blues and getting better sleep, it isn't always realistic for many of us. Between work, friends, and your side hustle, plus keeping up with current events, it's hard to get off of your screens. Even though we know that we should. Here are some tips, besides reducing screen time, to help you fight off those Winter Blues and boost your mood.
Get Outside
Strive to get outside to help regulate your circadian rhythm, calm your mind, and boost serotonin. While morning sun, prior to 10 AM is best for regulating your circadian rhythm, aim for any amount of time outdoors. Prioritize getting outside, even if it's just for a few minutes. Take the dog for a walk, take some deep breaths as you get the mail, look up, face the sun, listen to the world around you. Even if it's cloudy!
Maintain a Sleep Schedule
While getting enough sleep is very important, albeit difficult, going to bed and waking up around the same time every day is very helpful to the body. A wonky, inconsistent sleep schedule disrupts our circadian rhythm. This disruption impacts cortisol and hormone production.
Consider a Vitamin D Supplement
Not medical advice, speak with your doctor before adding supplements. Consider adding a Vitamin D supplement if you are not getting enough Vitamin D through your diet or sunlight. While vitamins are a great tool, there is nothing more effective or free than getting out in the sun.
Seek Out Light
Open up those blinds! Crack them open if the weather is mild enough. Even if you are indoors, natural light will help keep your mood up. Fresh air is always good and needed during winter months when homes are often closed up tight and air quality goes down.
Engage Your Support System
Peel yourself off the couch and schedule a coffee date with a friend or dinner with a family member. Kill two birds with one stone and go to the park or on a hike. Spending time with those we care about can boost our mood.
Eat Well
What we eat matters. Our gut and brain are very intertwined and what we consume has an impact on our mood. That's not to say you can't enjoy your favorite treat, if that's what makes you happy. Just be mindful of how you are fueling, or depleting, your body. This is especially important this time of year as most folks tend to get sick. Supporting your body with your diet is key. Food is medicine.
Move Your Body
Do this in whatever way feels good for you! Have a dance party with your kids, wrestle and play fetch with the dog, breathe and stretch, go for a run. There's no denying that exercise boosts our mood.
Aromatherapy
Our sense of smell is directly connected to the emotional parts of our brain. You know how a smell can take you back to your childhood? Like that! Diffuse essential oils to calm the nervous system and create a relaxing environment in your home. Be sure that the oils you are using are high-quality and from a good source - like Young Living.
5 Medicinal Herbs to Grow in Your Garden
5 Medicinal Herbs to Grow in Your Garden
Here are some incredibly medicinal flowers and herbs to grow in your garden this spring to stock your home apothecary. This is a short list of five power house herbs that I'm growing in my garden this spring. One season of planting can provide years of benefits when turned into oils or tinctures.
Echinacea
Echinacea is a well-known medicinal herb that is an immunity powerhouse. Grab this to prevent and treat colds and flus. Echinacea helps rebuild white blood cells and protect the body from infection. It can also relieve upper-respiratory issues and assist with lung health.
Chamomile
Reach for the chamomile to treat any bruises or swelling. To use topically, it can be made into a balm or salve. If I'm in a pinch, I will take a chamomile tea and use the tea bag on the bruise or add the tea and bag to a foot soak to reduce swelling. This medicinal herb can help with sore throat and cold symptoms. It also soothes toothaches. Chamomile is incredibly easy to grow in your garden!
Hyssap
Hyssap is another medicinal herb that can help with lung health. Use it for a multitude of respiratory issues and as another overall immune booster. Aids in digestion and can be used topically to help with bruise discoloration.
Borage
Great anti-inflammatory properties, making it great for swelling or an allergic reaction. Borage protects against oxidative cell damage and can even help treat asthma. Another immune booster that is packed with nutrients. Use borage topically in a balm or salve to help insect bites, eczema, and skin irritation.
Yarrow
Reduces scars, helps the skin prevent infection. Yarrow has antiseptic and antispasmodic properties, meaning it can help with stomach cramping and aid in digestion. Make a tea to cleanse the skin and prevent any infections. Yarrow is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant for the skin.
Turn these herbs and flowers into a tea, tincture, oil, balm, or salve after harvesting them from your garden. You could even try a bath bomb after making any of these into an oil.