Homemade Dog Flea Powder Repellent

The theme of this year so far has been: animals.  Our household was once a no pet home and is now starting to overflow.  We started raising 27 chicks.  Then we acquired Shiloh, our beloved golden retriever.  Then the goat has two kids, Twinkle and Bambi.  We acquired a new one, Feline, a mix of Guernsey and Nubian.  The plan was to mate her with Bambi.  Then the neighborhood dogs decided to hang out at our place.  We had 7 dogs at one point.  The newest addition are two precious kittens that we found last Saturday.  Mama Cat had four kittens but Danielle could only catch two.

With all these animals around, we also have lots of fleas in the property and on the poor cats and Shiloh.  The girls are preparing this recipe we found, not only for the animals but to use around the house and chicken coop as well.

FLEA AND TICK REPELLENT POWDER RECIPE

from www.primallyinspired.com

1 cup of food grade diotenaceous earth

1/2 cup of Yarrow powder

1/2 cup of Neem powder

20 drops of eucalyptus essential oil (omit if using for cats)

Mountain Rose, our affiliate, carries the ingredients, except for diotenaceous earth, which I ordered from Amazon.

Follow the link on how to use it : http://www.primallyinspired.com/homemade-flea-powder-repellent/

Homemade Coconut Shampoo

We make this simple natural shampoo that thoroughly cleans our hair.  Mom uses rye flour to wash her hair once a week.  But all children use this one.  Here is Destiny learning measurements as she helps make it.

You will need:
1/3 cup of homemede coconut milk
1/3 cup of liquid castile soap
1/2 tsp of vitamin E oil
20 drops of lavender oil (or any other scent you like)
A recycled pump bottle
For dry hair, you could add 1 tsp of olive oil

Mix all ingredients into the bottle.   Shake it before each use.  This shampoo won't make that nice lather that most people are used to.  But it still cleans thouroughly.  That lather in most shampoos is SLS, not a very good chemical to put in children.

From Cats to Goats

I know having pets is wonderful and a responsibility.  We had this stray cat show up one day and we all embraced it.  This really cute cat is so lovable that let's Liberty pet her and won't run away.  I don't know why or how it came, but she has stayed since the first day it came.  She was given the name, Kitty, of course.  Danielle, Destiny, Noah and even Liberty love to play with her and play with her.  Sometimes they forget she is a real cat and not a stuffed animal.
We keep her outdoors, so she has learned to catch field mice and birds.  The joy of having Kitty around is wonderful and fitting for our surroundings at this point.

The goats are another story.  When Vana and Jubilee were born, on January 2013, Danielle and Destiny took care of them for about a month.  They woud get up early in the morning, or not so early and go feed the goats with alfalfa and provide them with fresh water.  They loved taking care of them.

 Now the goats are bigger and have longer horns but are still workable.  It was a great expirience  to see the be born and grow.  We hope to have a milking goat someday.  These ones are meat goats and would only give milk briefly after they give birth, for about 3 months.

These two have been so far our family's exposure to pets and farm animals.

Article By Danielle on the King's Blooming Rose

We were all encouraged to see Danielle's article published in The King's Blooming Rose this Winter issue.  It motivated Danielle to continue to write and read.  The magazine is an excellent resource for young girls to encourage each other in their walk with Christ.

www.kingsbloomingrose.com

Happy Birthday to Dad and Best Chocolate Cake Recipe with Real Food Ingredients!

Our beloved Dad turns 44 today!  What a joy and a blessing to have a man who fears the Lord.  Danielle got to play “Happy Birthday” song in the piano while Noah drummed in a couple of my food pails.

Then, she turned the environment jolly and militant with “When the Saints go Marching in”.  We enjoyed this delicious cake with milk and Jose got to open presents that we put together.  He enjoyed all the little love notes from Danielle, Destiny, Noah and even Liberty who runs to him crying “Papa, Papa” every time he comes home from work.

This is a chocolate cake you can actually eat a second serving without feeling guilty.   Even Liberty Joy enjoyed a bit.  We have modified and replaced some ingredients from the Hershey’s one.

You will need:

• 2 cups flour.  I make a sprouted soft wheat flour.
• 2 cups Rapadura (sugar) I use 1 1/2 cups
• ¾ cup cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon instant “barley” coffee powder (or espresso)
• 1 cup milk (I used 1/2 cup  of kefir and 1/2 cup of milk)
• ½ cup coconut oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Butter two 9-inch cake pans or one 9 by 11.
2. Mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and barley coffee powder in a large bowl.
3. Add milk,  oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together.
4. Slowly and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter if you have a hand mixer.
5. Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until done.
6. Let it cool before applying the frosting

Chocolate frosting

• 1 (8 ounce) package organic cream cheese
• 3 Tablespoons of raw honey

• 1/4 cup organic heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup organic semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions:  Melt the chocolate.  I put the chocolate in a glass measuring cup over a small saucepan with water.  Add all ingredients to a blender or to a bowl if using a hand mixer and combine well.

I have doubled this recipe for a larger crowd and it turned out well too.

Enjoy your birthday celebrations with your whole family!

Easy Homemade Laundry Soap - One Year Supply for less than $20!

Of course the “one year supply”  will depend on how many loads you do a year.   We used to do the liquid laundry soap recipe, but since we found this one at Being Creative, we think is a better idea.  This makes much more to last and there is no hot water handling or stirring and it is done instantly.
You will need:

• Container or bucket to hold about 2 gallons which is how much this mixture adds up to.
• A box and a large plastic bag for mixing

• 1 4 lb 12 oz box Borax

• 1 4 lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda

• 1  box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (3 lb 7 oz)

• 3 bars of Fels-Naptha soap or 2 bars of Zote from the Mexican store

• 2 small containers of Oxy Clean or one that’s about 3 lbs. (optional but highly recommended if you have children like mine)
• 1 TBS of essential oil, lavender or lemon (optional).  You can also add it as you are doing your load.

1. Line the box with the bag and mix all ingredients in it.  Grate the soap or you can process it into powder in a food processor or dry blade vita mix.

2. Add the oxy clean.

3.  Add the Borax.

4.  Add Washing Soda and Baking Soda.

5. Using the plastic bag, mix them all together in the box.

6.  Make a nice label for it, “Laundry Soap” and on the other side of the container, you can tape the recipe for next year’s supply

**Use 1-2 Tablespoons per load.
Try it and let us know how it works out for you!

Our Family Rules from the Duggar's

We have these new fun rules at home.  We like them because it protects us from getting hurt by others around our house.



These rules we took from the Duggar’s family.   God gave us 10 commandments and then He spelled it out in many specific situations to show us what it looks like to love Him and to love others.



Here they are.  We put ours in a very visible place because we tend to forget easily.

1. Always use soft words, even when you don’t feel well.
2. Always display kind actions, even if you have been mistreated.

3. Show joyful attitudes even when no one is looking.

4. Have sincere motives with no thought of self-gain.

5. Think pure thoughts.

6. Always give a good report of others. Never tale-bear unless physical harm will come to someone. Use Matthew 18 as your standard.

7. Never raise a hand to hit.

8. Never raise a foot to kick.

9. Never raise an object to throw.

10. Never raise a voice to yell.

11. Never raise an eye to scowl.

12. Use one toy/activity at a time.

13. Never let the sun go down on your wrath. (Don’t go to be angry or guilty.)

14. Amendment J.O.Y.: Put Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last. Make serving your family a priority.

How about your family rules?  Do you have any? What are they?