Browsing Tag

essential oils

Autumn on the Homestead

Here is a quick little update of what’s been going on around the homestead in the last month or so…

Made applesauce, apple butter, apple chips, & apple scones. Apple tea is still on the “to do” list.
Pumpkin puree & pumpkin butter
Honey spiced cake – (orange, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, coffee, & vanilla)
Autumn Spiced Cajeta (cajeta with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, & vanilla)
Honey toasted goat cheese ( cinnamon, cardamom, & goat cheese)
Barn & coop cleaning and straw restocking before the winter weather hits hard
Getting our new buck, Kosher, adjusted to life on the homestead. The girls took to him immediately and he snuck out of his pen the first week on the farm. We’re hoping to see some goat kids in the next few months!
Starting to transition from the summer go-go-go around the farm to more of the “hunker down, drink lots of tea & fire cider, do indoor projects and go to bed early” that winter tends to brings.
Ordered some new oils from Eden’s Garden for the upcoming holiday season. So far, my favs are Cinnamon Leaf, Nutmeg, & Sweet Orange – smells like Christmas and was super affordable.
Started reading the C.S. Lewis sci-fi series (again) – so good. Also, you should shop here for cheap books. Seriously – so much cheaper than Amazon.
Had several custom orders on my Etsy shop & several orders of udder wipes that sold this past month, which I think is kind of hilarious. But I obviously love it because IT’S UDDER WIPES.

We’re looking forward to what some are calling an”el nino” winter. Which for Colorado could mean feet of snow, gallons of hot tea, and truckloads of wood pellets for the stove. We have family coming for the holidays and we intend to be fully present this year (as opposed to last year).

Projects on the to-do list this winter: knit socks, knit mittens, sew a dress (or quilt), crochet a blanket with this pattern, develop a fodder feed system for the animals, build a magical book shelf (think Belle from Beauty and the Beast) complete with 12 ft aspen ladder for our ever growing book collection… I’m sure there is more, but I’ll stop there before I get completely overwhelmed.

Quote of the month:

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts & be thankful.

Thanks for following our journey!

Linking up with Leigh Kramer.

October 30, 2015

Simple Living Part Four: Homemade Face Wash

Here is one of my favorite experiments so far: homemade face wash!!

So confession: I don’t always wash my face. Especially if I don’t wear make-up that day. It’s just a pain. Call me lazy or unhygienic – whatever. ALSO, I hate buying face wash because it can get expensive (I am super cheap, have I mentioned this??).
But, I’m not going to lie… Once I made this stuff, I wash my face almost everyday. MOSTLY because it has natural oils that remove makeup AND it’s all natural ingredients (not to mention cheap and lasts a long time).

This recipe comes from a very productive play date a friend and I had a month ago to make some amazing natural goods. SO, I’ve been using the face wash since then, and I really like it. It’s different than a face wash you would buy from the store because there is no lather, which I’ll admit was weird at first. But because the base is coconut oil, it can also be used as a makeup remover.

1 cup coconut oil

1 tbsp baking soda

5 drops lavender essential oil

5 drops frankincense essential oil

5 drops lemon essential oil

Glass jar

Directions:

1. Melt the coconut oil in a pan over low heat

2. Once melted, remove from heat and add in the remaining ingredients.

3. Store in a glass jar and keep it in a cool place.

See? Super easy!

(Hint: when I use it, I normally just scrap a little bit off and rub all over my face, then rinse.)

Simple Living Philosophy

Ok, now I just have to share some simple living philosophy that’s been bouncing around in my head for a few weeks now… mostly because if I don’t write it down, it will just disappear into my brain.

So, I really enjoy learning about living simply.

If I’m completely honest, is mostly because I’m a woman and I need something to control :) Better this than my husband’s schedule, am I right??

Just kidding (mostly). But really, making something useful from scratch, that you can make again and again, with very little ingredients…. doesn’t that just feel nice to you?? It makes me feel empowered and happy – like if for some reason grocery stores stopped carrying face wash (drastic I know, but whatever), than I would be OK.

However, I don’t want to fall into the trap that if I can make everything from scratch that my life will automatically be different/better. We all know I’m not actually in control of a whole lot in life by creating these products from scratch. In the end, it won’t really matter if I use store bought face wash or I make my own to avoid chemicals: I will still get sick every once in awhile, and the possibility for major illness is still there, despite all my attempts to thwart it. Life is bigger than that and there have been so many people before me that have already done what I am doing, and they didn’t solve the meaning to life, or find a “cure all” for all sickness.

Makes me think of those super encouraging words in Ecclesiastes,

What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.

I say that sarcastically, and yet I think I mean it. There is something comforting about the fact that everything I am doing (philosophically) has already been done. I’m not inserting anything new into this time and place that hasn’t been done before. I feel like that should be depressing, but it’s not. At least not right now. I’ll take it :)

Anyways, I would love to hear your “simple living philosophy”, even if it differs from my own. Teach me something new people!

Also, let me know if you make the homemade face wash, I want to know how it works with other skin types!

* I am not super partial to a specific brand of essential oils. I tend to lean towards using Eden’s Garden because of the affordable pricing. (I get nothing for recommending them, just a warm heart knowing that more people know about affordable essential oils)

(homemade face wash recipe is from Dr. Axe)

January 23, 2015

City Living, Simple Living

Simple Living Part Three: Homemade Deodorant & Simple Friends

Today I’d like to share some others who I’ve discovered live simply, in their own way. There’s also a homemade deodorant recipe, keep scrolling:)

Simple Living Friends

Wellness Mama: This blog is is intense. She has SO many recipes for SO many different things. In fact, the recipe that is used in this blog for shampoo is from her. She does research on most her projects and even the comments from others below her blogs are super helpful.

Shalom Mama: Nina’s website is awesome. She’s got recipes, books, essential oils…etc. She also has a cool side story: her and her family of 6 lived in a SCHOOL BUS! :)

Mundane Faithfulness: I found Kara’s blog (and Instagram @tippetts) through the recent controversial topic of euthanasia. She was diagnosed with stage four metastatic cancer and recently wrote a response letter about why we don’t have to be afraid of dying. Reading her blogs about keeping life simple and focused on the things that matter, in the midst of chemotherapy and radiation is beyond inspirational. Side note: her site has been getting huge amounts of traffic, so it might be down at times. If so, check out her Facebook page.

Julie @Homesweethomestead / cinnamongirlofmaine.com : I have no idea how I found Julie, but her Insta feed is always FULL of inspiration for the homesteaders at heart, and her blog is super authentic. Check out her recent blog and adorable homemade hen ornaments.

Andrew and Crystal Odom with Tiny r(E)volution : They built a tiny house, and currently live in an RV full time. Their blog consists of countless helpful tips, suggestions, and ebooks on simplifying your life. Start here by reading their manifesto.

Ok, and now onto other simple things :)

Homemade Deodorant

This was one of those recipes that my homesteading-small-business-dreaming friend (Erin) and I created one night a few weeks back. Some of those recipes didn’t really work out, and some totally did. Like this one. Only 2 ingredients.

1/2 cup of coconut oil

20 drops of Purification*

We put the ingredients in a pot over a hot stove top and stirred until the coconut oil was melted. Then, we poured the mixture into mason jars – because that was all we had at that time. However, once I got home later, I realized it might be kind of hard to put on deodorant from a small mason jar… I just happened to run out of my travel deodorant a couple of days before, so I just cleaned out the residue left from the previous store bought deodorant,{{recycle}} and poured the (still fluid) coconut/essential oil mixture into the plastic container. You can also buy these (unused) online if you don’t happen to be running out of your current deodorant.

One interesting (and slightly random) thing…Ryan and I both take pretty hot showers, so I can’t actually keep it in the bathroom – it melts! Soooo I keep it in the fridge.

Right next to the pesto and soup ;)

I think that this may be due to the type of coconut oil we used. Erin and I switched from making it with her version and mine, and I don’t actually remember which one we made this one from. So, that’s not super helpful, but hey – this is a documentation of my experiments. ;-) I would like to know if anyone else tries this, and what kind of coconut oil you used, and how it turned out.

If you are interested in using a more natural version of deodorant, but aren’t really interested in making your own, you can

(1) contact me and I’ll try to whip something up for you.

(2) purchase Primal Pit Paste (that’s right) from Mountain Rose Herbs. Click here and scroll down until you see the paste :)

Well, this concludes round one of my attempt at homemade deodorant. Let me know if YOU have a different recipe, and love it. I want to experiment with other recipes too!

Here’s to having a wonderfully smelling week!

* I am not super partial to a specific brand of essential oils, this time we used Young Living because this was the recipe and ingredients we had at the time. I tend to lean towards using Eden’s Garden because of the affordable pricing. I will most likely purchase the needed ingredients next time (Citronella, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Tea Tree Oil, Lavandin, and Myrtle) from EG or create my own blend. (I get nothing for recommending them, just a warm heart knowing that more people know about affordable essential oils)

January 5, 2015

City Living, Simple Living

Simple Living Part Two: Homemade Mouthwash

As I mentioned in the previous blog, I’ve really enjoyed learning about how to make simple and cheaper versions of things I use all the time. I don’t think that there is anything morally wrong with just using whatever you buy at the store – I’m not one of those organic evangelists who thinks that if you feed your child Cheerios you are a horrible parent (I buy my 31 year old baby Cheerios. I DO roll my eyes because he works in the OIL FIELD people! Don’t you need more energy than those lil round things to work 16 hours a day?! Whatever. He loves them).

I think that sometimes “living simply” can mean so many different things for people. For example, for someone who is working a demanding job, perhaps living simply looks like whatever can get them relaxing with their family as much as possible. Or if things are tight financially, living simply looks like purchasing/making whatever allows there to be more free room in the bank account. Does this make sense?

I am super curious about experimenting with various methods of making my own products (fill in the blank: toothpaste, shampoo, tomato sauce, candles…etc.).

ALL this to say, the next month or so I am going to do a series, titled Simple Living, documenting my experiments and reviews of specific recipes, as well as interviewing several natural living experts. Just like any other blogger, I love to get feedback. If you have a recipe for something YOU make around the house that simplifies you and your family’s life, I want to hear about it! I would love to feature YOUR recipes here :)

Email me at restoringsimple@gmail.com or fill out the form below to share a recipe, story, or experience you had creating something to simplify your life.

And now: HOMEMADE MOUTHWASH!

I recently got together with a good friend and we cranked out 6 different recipes that we wanted to try, including deodorant, face wash, make-up remover, shampoo, conditioner, and mouthwash.

Homemade Mouthwash: big thumbs up.

Slightly cinnamon-y, minty, and refreshing. Doesn’t have that crazy burn that most mouthwash has. I had a painful mouth sore when I started using it and the next day after using this mouth it was significantly less painful, and by day 2 it was gone completely. My husband thinks that the mouth sore had just run its course, while I think the essential oils did the trick – this is an on-going debate we have about success of EOs. He thinks its in my head, I partially think it is too, but I still LOVE essential oils and am convinced that they do their job. But more about that later…

I like this recipe because it uses the essential oils that it does, so you get the added benefit of having the Thieves, Peppermint, and Lemon swished around in your mouth.

Plus, I kind of feel like there is a Christmas-y cleaning party going on in my mouth. It’s very pleasant.

Try it out and let me know how you like it, or don’t.

Here is the recipe that my friend provided (she originally found it here, but tweaked a few things):

2 tsp calcium carbonate powder

10 drops of trace minerals

10 drops of peppermint

5 drops of lemon

5 drops of thieves

2 cups of filtered water

Store in the fridge for up to two weeks (precaution).

Now, I’ve had it now for four days, and I haven’t yet put in the fridge… mostly because I keep forgetting :)

So try it out and let me know what you think!

And if you have a recipe or homemade product that you’ve made before (doesn’t have to be an original recipe) and want to share it, please fill out the form below and you’ll be hearing from me shortly :)

December 13, 2014

Ryan and Hannah Corson, Herbal Tea Collection

City Living, Simple Living

Herbal Tea, Yoga, Essential Oils, & Juice

That sounds like the start to a yuppies dream day.

Yikes.

Well, its been the glorious start to mine for the past month.

I realize right off the bat that this blog post is like every other blog post I have seen lately about, well… the exact same things. Essential oils and yoga.

:sigh:

It’s kind of my pet peeve when I’m following the trends of the rest of my peers.

BUT MY MORNINGS ARE AMAZING SO I DON’T CARE.

Seriously. I’ve been trying to find some kind of morning routine since moving back to the city, and I think I may have found it.

6:00 – wake up. drag myself out of bed. used to be a morning person. marriage makes me wanna stay in bed. go figure.

6:05 – shower. typically still not feeling super jazzed about the day.

6:20 – yoga & oils enter the picture. I took some classes at Bella Yoga in Brighton and learned a ton there. Now, that knowledge combined with a sweet app (Yoga Studio) that someone referred me to, and a couple of oils normally rubbed on my feet, chest, and arms (with carrier oil of course) and 15 minutes of stretching and I feel much more awake, energized, and even focused.

6:45ish – cleaning frenzy. I know that with normal people, its dreaded. But I’m a freak and cleaning is strangely therapeutic. And given my husbands cleaning habits, I’m thankful that I ended up being that kind of freak rather than the other kind (that pile things on until it feels like there’s a monster living by our front door). Just a couple of minutes of laundry, dishes, {sometimes} making the bed, and I’m a brand new woman. And so is our apartment.

6:55 – Breakfast. I got a free juicer a few months ago with my lil bro at a church garage sale that was packing up for the weekend. I have no idea what brand it is, but I love it. It feels really nice to have fresh juice be the first thing that my stomach deals with in the mornings. But I’m probably going to turn orange very soon from the mounds of carrots I keep juicing. I have to remind myself to add some celery so that this doesn’t actually happen. If it does, I’ll post pics. {Also, ginger is yummy in carrot juice}

7:10 – Start boiling water for some tea. Throw on some clothes for work. Make herbal tea. I’m not sure if you knew or not, but we (::cough:: I) recently started becoming slightly obsessed with loose leaf tea. Some mornings I’ll make a lil something with caffeine* and some mornings I just stick to herbal for the health benefits.

*** Picture credit

7:15 – Sit down with my tea, granola, and a book. What I’ve been reading lately:

– Country Matters

– Genesis

– The Secret Life of Bees

– The Jade Peony

7:30ish – out the door, ready for some NPR on the way to work and a hopefully smooth commute and lovely day.

Hipster side note: I’m growing a baby. It’s like a week old. Cute huh?**

OK. All you oil experts and fellow aspiring naturalists. Feedback needed:

– I am still an oil baby. Haven’t been using them very long. Tell me what has worked for you for: sore throats, fatigue, sore muscles, anxiety….etc. ALSO: favorite delivery method?

– Juicing. I’ve pretty much stuck to carrots, celery, ginger, apples, and beets. What else works for you here? Any specific remedies you’ve found? Or other flavors to make yummy juices (or not so yummy juices)?

– Kombucha. Haven’t even finished growing the child yet, but I need some direction. I am not a huge fan of the taste of kombucha, haven’t quite cultivated those taste buds yet… SO what are some things I can do to make it more “Hannah friendly”? I feel like adding juice of somekind would be tasty, but just need some direction.

Thanks for enduring my first post of city life. Maybe the next post Ryan will tell you all about the oil field and fracking. #contradictions? #tuneinnexttime

* did I mention I definitely drink coffee once I get to work? necessary…

** why the heck is this nasty thing called a baby?

*** Thanks Eliza. You good.

September 12, 2014