The Sweet Smell Of…. Home Made Deodorant

One of the things I have been wanting to make for some time is deodorant. It is also one of those things where when one of us would run out, I didn’t have the time or the supplies to try it.  BUT…recently, the timing worked out.

The farmer and I are both concerned with the food choices we make and along with that, the products that we put on our body.  Our skin is the largest organ of our body and yet, many of us think nothing of smearing, spraying or rubbing in concoctions that are made up of all kinds of nasty chemicals.  Where do you suppose those chemicals end up?

So with that being said, we were recently dangerously close to the end of the deodorant tube, I decided now was the time.  I searched for a recipe for home made deodorant that has very few ingredients. That’s how I like to roll! If I find a recipe for something that has just a few ingredients, I can add more if I care too, or if not, just be happy with a simple and easy recipe.

If you are interested in giving home made deodorant a shot, I would encourage you to try this one.  It is simple, easy to make, most ingredients you may already have and the best part….IT WORKS!!

Imagine, using products that all say 100%!

If in the future you get all wild and crazy and want to try some more elaborate recipes, you will at least have the basics down.  Keep in mind this recipe is for Deodorant NOT Antiperspirant.

BASIC DEODORANT RECIPE 

2 Tablespoons Baking Soda

6 Tablespoons Cornstarch

2-3 Tablespoons unrefined Coconut Oil

10-20 drops Essential Oil

10-20 drops Tea Tree Oil

1 empty, washed and dried deodorant container

Mix the two dry ingredients in a small bowl, warm your coconut oil (any way you like) until it is liquid or almost. Mix the coconut oil into the dry mixture.  Then add your drops of Tea Tree Oil and Essential Oil.  Mix well and then spoon into an old washed and dried deodorant tube* or use another container of your choice.  

***This recipe filled the old deodorant tube and there was some left over, so I put it in a jar and just use my fingers to apply. 

I skipped the Essential Oil because I wanted to experiment with just the basics.  I happen to like the scent of Tea Tree Oil and it does not make the farmer smell like a girl, so he is cool with it too!  In the future, just for fun, I will add some essential oil and see what I like best.

Take a look at the back of this old tube that I re-used.  If I were to make a label for our home made deodorant, there would be 4 natural ingredients listed and NO WARNINGS!

I will say, it is winter and today was actually the first warm day.  I can see that allowing your arm pits to perspire (like  is something that will take some getting used to.  (most of us are just accustomed to a dry – unhealthy pit)  But for us it is worth it!  Any little thing we can do to help our bodies function the way they should and be healthy is a good idea in our book.

If you are brave and try it out or if you have in the past; leave a note in the comment section.  We would love to hear your thoughts on home made deodorant and what your experiences were.  Until then – Be blessed, Staci

Every Animal Has A Purpose On The Farm – Livestock Guardian Dogs

The farmer and I decided a long time ago that if we were going to farm, that we couldn’t farm foolishly.  Now that doesn’t mean we haven’t made our fair share of mistakes.  Because we certainly have!  We like to learn by doing and some times that even means doing it the wrong way.

What we meant and agree’d upon was that any animal we had on the farm that we were spending our hard earned money to buy food for and care for, would need to have a purpose.  Of course, we had to grandfather in our at the time old black lab, Bull and our house cat.  (Don’t get the farmer going on the cat thing OK?)

Even the Livestock Guardian Dogs get to spend a little time inside the house.

So how did we justify getting another dog?  And not just one other dog….but two! Well, we really did have a need;  and a need that they have successfully filled.

We live in the country and the country has fox, coyotes, hawks, bear, possum, raccoon and an  abundance of other wild animals.  All of these animals are predators, meaning that they are enticed and intrigued by a meal of chicken, young turkeys and small pigs.  A pack of coyotes will even attempt a calf in the right situation.   We particularly had an abundance of coyotes and fox.  They killed our chickens and some times they even ate them.  But most of the time, they just killed them ate a little bit and then left it.  What a waste! And what a way to watch our investment of time and money go right out the window.

That’s where our Livestock Guardian Dogs (LGD’s) came into play.  As I started reading about how other farms protected their investments from predators, it was easy to see that the most successful deterrent was an LGD.  A Livestock Guardian Dog is a very complex creature.  It is not a Guard Dog, a Herding Dog, a Hunting Dog or a Sporting Dog.  It is a working dog and a very serious one at that!  

These are a few of the qualities of a LGD.

1. They are loyal :  more so to their animals, then the owners, although they are wonderfully loving dogs to people.
2. They think like no other and have a mind of their own. (Truly because what they do is instinctual and they truly know better then us in regards to predators.  No matter how smart we think we are)
3. They have a memory like no ones business.
4. They look like they are sleeping all of the time, but they are not.  They are most always awake and using senses other than sight.  (not kidding)
5. They are gentle giants:  They are big, strong, fast and fearless.  They mean business when they are working, but they like nothing more than a good old belly rub when they are “off duty”.
6. What ever terrain they can see, is theirs to protect.  (This can be a problem:  the further they go, the further they can see)

These are just a few of the qualities that a Livestock Guardian Dog has.  I’ll dive in a bit deeper into these qualities on separate blog posts. But for now, let me leave you with this.

Don’t get a Livestock Guardian Dog breed (yes, there are several breeds in this category) unless you have a job for them to do AND acreage.

Know that they WILL do their job.  You can’t stop them, it is instinctual.

Know that they are worth every amount of time, energy and money that you put into them as they will protect your livestock and flock investments.

If you truly desire to homestead or farm, we would encourage you to make sure every animal has a purpose before you buy or get it.  It is easy to fall into the “oh, it’s so cute!” trap and end up with a homestead full of animals you spend a lot of money on and give you nothing back.  Talk to others in your area in a similar living situation and see what the “need” really is as apposed to the “want”.  Be purposeful with your investments of time and money and make sure everything you do and everything you have, has a purpose.

Be blessed and remember;  if you are interested in Livestock Guardian Dogs, please “Follow” us on facebook so you don’t miss out on the next blog.  – Staci

3 Thieves In The Night

What would you do if in the middle of the night, someone came to your house to steal your stuff…your food?  What if they came and walked all around like your things were just entitled to them and took what ever they wanted?

Well with a string of burglaries recently in the area and the topic of gun control that plasters ever social site and news site, this is a topic the farmer and I find ourselves talking about fairly often.  What if?  Well…safe to say, we have always said if someone came to rob us in the middle of the night, they would soon find, that they picked the wrong house.  (use your imagination)

So what happened when we started seeing tracks in our yard?  Tracks in the snow, walking right up our driveway and right next to our house.  We investigated and kept a watchful eye, just like anyone else would do that was protecting their home, family and possessions.

Tracks in the snow

And then one morning in the early hours I saw them!  Actually, I only saw the boldest one at first.  I quietly alerted the farmer.  He was being caught in action and I didn’t want to take the chance that he would hear me and run.

As the farmer came down the stairs we looked back out to access the situation.  And out of the shadows of the woods I saw two more thieves! Three of them…all making their way right to our house.  Right in our yard!

So I did what any good farm wife would do.  I SHOT THEM! 

Thief #1

With the camera.  And here they are.  One by one, they made their way to our pigs area to eat from the grain bin.

Thief #2 and #3

OK.  These thieves got off easy.  And we actually will be blessed if we catch them in the act again.

The whole gang

Mug shot of #1

We are thankful that we have such issues out here in the country.  We wouldn’t have it any other way!

Be blessed – Staci

When Home Made Makes You Smile

By now, most people who read our blog or catch us on facebook  at Mighty Oaks Farm know how much we try and make as many of our consumables as possible.  In most cases, making your consumables yourself is healthier and in many cases cheaper, uh-hummm…more cost efficient.

One of the things that I make is Tooth Powder.  Tooth Powder is made with all natural ingredients, you can customize it to your taste (literally), it is inexpensive and you are not getting any fluoride or other harsh chemicals or additives that you would find in a normal tube of tooth paste.

It’s not pretty, but it makes you pretty!

Keep in mind.  Tooth Powder is a powder, not a paste.  Different texture completely.  This is one of the reasons many people like the powder.  Some people have very sensitive gag reflexes and have a difficult time with paste.  This may be a great alternative for them.

I have to say, that after using this tooth powder, the farmer and I have found two substantial benefits outside of the cost.

#1  Say good-by to halitosis aka….morning breath.

#2  Our teeth are whiter.

OK,  On number one, yes everyone has morning breath to some degree.  Just a fact of life.  But it didn’t take more than a day or two of using tooth powder for me to see a significant difference in my own mouth when I woke up in the morning.  I didn’t say anything at first because I thought is was just a fluke.  But after a while, I asked the farmer,  “Have you noticed that your breath is not as bad in the morning?” He said, “Actually, now that you mention it, yes!”

Whiter teeth….Now once again, because I stink at thinking ahead some times, I wish that I had thought to take a before picture so there would be some visual proof.  But, I did not.  I can tell you however, that our teeth are whiter (due to the activated charcoal that is in the tooth powder). Yes, your tooth powder is a pretty shade of gray when you are brushing.  But who cares if it works!

Our teeth are clean, our teeth are healthy, our breath is fresh.  I can’t really ask for more than that.  Tooth powder is super easy to make and if you want to test out a “home made” product, this would seriously be my recommendation for a great place to start.

No harsh chemicals here.  Just all natural goodness!

I’m sure that there are many, many different recipes out there.  This just happens to be the one that I use.  The ingredients are all either things you would have at home or easily found at a health food store or on line.

4 Tablespoons Bentonite Clay

2 Tablespoons Baking Soda

2 Tablespoons Calcium Powder

1 Teaspoon Salt (I recommend Real Salt, or some type of fine sea salt)

1/2 Teaspoon Activate Charcoal

15 to 20 drops of essential oil, your choice (cinnamon leaf, clove, peppermint or spearmint all work well, but whatever you want your mouth to taste like is what you use)

Use a spoon to stir it, not a toothbrush.  It just looks like that is what I’m doing here!

Mix it all together in a mason jar or container of your choice.  Make sure it has a lid so that you can give it a shake now and again.

This one batch will last quite some time.  HINT:  You can split it up into smaller jars and write names on the lid so everyone has their own if you would like.   If you decide to give it a try, leave a comment and let us know what you think.

And until then – be blessed, Staci

I mean who doesn’t want a super giant close up of their mouth to be shown to the world?!