YOU Are Not a Rooster!!!

We have this group of beautiful bluebirds that hang out around us.

                                                                               Photo Credit

Pretty huh? They are by far one of the most annoying sounding birds! They sound more like a broken car alarm than a beautiful songbird. There is one boy in particular that feels the need to awaken the morning right outside our window. Every morning! At 5:30!!

I am not a morning person. Even as a teen it was torture to wake up before 7. In middle school the bus arrived at 7:05 to get me. I woke at 6:55. I gave myself just enough time to dress, brush teeth and hair, grab an apple and sprint down the driveway to meet the bus. Now as an adult I have thanked God time after time for a son that rises between 8 and 9. I wake around 7:30 and have time to myself and to get the day started.

So, now that you know what my mornings are like, you can imagine the joy I feel by this bluebird. I can sleep through most of the morning sunrise songs, but this broken car alarm reaches that annoying pitch that just rings through every inch of you.

My dear bluebird friend, YOU are not a rooster! Please wait to sound the alarm until there is trouble or the rest of the world is awake. Thank You!

This blog is linked to:
Homestead Barn Hop 72
Homesteader Blog Carnival 18 

Friday Feel Good Moment

There are days that seem to be out of control. There are nights filled with restless sleep. Some times life is more than we can handle. Giving up might seem like the only way out. But you keep pushing through, to stubborn to give up. When the storm rages around you and all hope looks but lost, that's when you need to stop and listen... look.... feel. Where is God? He will never give you more than you can handle. He will not let you break. Even when it feels like God is far from you and the edge of the cliff is approaching your toes, that's when you need to let go of everything you have tried to do or make work and just simply surrender. Throw out your hands and fall off the cliff backwards. God will catch you. And that moment of uncertainty will be filled with a peace that is on real... a peace that removes the doubt.... a peace that sustains.

What to Do with All the Watermelon?

In a camper the frig is small and there for the space is valuable for the food you need all week (or at least till you make it to the store again!)  That said, I love fresh watermelon. It is so refreshing, it taste good, and the color is pretty too! So what is a girl to do with all that watermelon? There is no way it will fit in my fridge.  So I got creative. 

I started out with that great little hand powered food processor I have. It is becoming my favorite tool in the kitchen! I chopped up some watermelon till it was liquefied. Then I poured some into an ice pop container. I also poured some in to a glass bottle and topped it off with water for some lightly flavored watermelon water. Next, some went into baggies to be frozen for future smoothies (to be made in my handy dandy food processor!). And last, but not least, my parents joined us for fresh watermelon. What is left over went into a bowel for tomorrow’s enjoyment. The chickens will have a wonderful buffet tomorrow, so that is a double yummy yum!

 This blog is linked to:
Homesteader Blog Carnival 18
Homestead Barn Hop 72

How to Spend a Lovely Day!

Boys being boys.

Oh, strong men, spin me!

Today the weather was in the high 70’s low 80’s (depended on what thermometer you looked at) and we decided to take the kids to the park for a picnic and some time to run off energy. My sister met up with us with her four cuties in toe. The kids were all excited for a special meal and the playground behind them kept them munching till their bellies were full. The boys of course did the boy thing playing in the dirt and trees with the stick they found. The playground was unimportant…. Until the damsel in distress need the strong men to spin her!

Then, they enjoyed some bouncy time before finishing up some time swinging, spinning, climbing and sliding! And that little one is the youngest of my nieces and nephews. Isn’t she a doll? 

How do you enjoy the wonderful days? Don’t forget to slow down and let the sun shine and the kids run free from time to time. It is so easy to get caught up in work and forget the play, but listening to the little laughter is worth the slight back up in chores!

Love her!

This Blog is linked to:
Homestead Barn Hop 72
Homesteader Blog Carnival 18

The Garden

So we went back and forth on whether to start the garden or not. (We were hoping to move early summer, but we are still here) So Memorial weekend we started a very late garden. The tomatoes are heavy with fruit and more coming. I can’t wait for the first ripe one, I love fresh off the plant tomato sandwiches! The yellow pear tomatoes are forming now, too.

Please turn red!

Or yellow!

The cucumbers are going crazy, we will have plenty to last a long while! My son loves watching how fast they are growing. And we have had to count them a number of times to appease him!

The beans are not doing so good, a bit of a bust, the beets and carrots started to come up, but then disappears, and the radish were a wonderful harvest! We have a couple of small watermelons, aren’t they cute?

 And finally the great mystery! What kind of sunflower is this? Where is the flower at? When I ordered the seeds, I thought this was one of the giant towering sunflowers, but then when they arrived the package said it would be about 2-3 feet tall. Well, it is now as tall as me and every time we think it is going to give us a flower, it shoots up another 6 inches. When will it stop? No one knows!!

This Blog is linked to:
Homesteader Blog Carnival 18
Homestead Barn Hop 72

A Kid Friendly Restaurant

My in laws live a ways out. This past weekend my mother in law turned 60 so we all headed in that way to spend time with them. First stop was to visit my father in law. We usually go to a restaurant to spend time with him. The building he lives in smells like smoke and I have a low tolerance for the smell before I get stuffed up and start to feel sick. 

 Well, the last time we were up he took us to this nice Greek restaurant.  We really liked it and so decided that it would be a great place to visit again, especially since it wasn’t just our son but also 3 year old nephew.  Kid friendly a must!

 This place was not made with the kids in mind, no rather the college kids, but 11 o’clock on a summer Saturday, we had the place to ourselves. The boys loved checking the waterfall, goldfish pond, golf course, and all the old machinery out (the building was an old popcorn factory at one time). It was a nice long visit with dad and the kids didn’t get antsy! 

A Change in Flock Dynamics

So last week we lowered our flock number by removing our aggressive boys. It is such a change since. Granted it has only been a week, but at least for the past week things have been peaceful again!.  The boy we have has taken his authoritative role serious. He watches out for the girls, all the girls respond well to him.  He let’s us come in and spend time with them…. he does keep a very close eye on us, but he at least lets us in now. 

 The girls have enjoyed the peace that has settled on the flock. Lily once again will let us hold her. She had kept her distance because the other two boys would attack here when we held her. The new boy just watches very closely until she is placed back on he ground. All the girls have been able to eat the scraps we put in for them now too. And ….. this is a biggie!...... the girls are all aloud to go in the coop at night! Like I said, everything seems peaceful again.

 But there is one mystery in the flock. We can’t figure if this one is a boy or a girl. It has the body, comb, and waddles of a little lady, but the tail feathers and green sheen are like that of a boy. So until it is official as to the sex of this bird it has been properly named The It.  Any ideas on what The It is?

The It is in the front with a little lady in the background.

This Blog is linked to:
Homestead Barn Hop 72
Homesteader Blog Carnival 18

Great Gift Idea on a Budget

My mother in law turned 60 this past week. Hooray for her! But what do you get someone who is 60 and do it on a budget? Well thankfully she has been interested in hearing what we have been up to and wanting to try it.  She also wanted to start a garden this summer, but with work traveling she was not able to. So that's when we were all like BINGO!

What is inside that basket? I filled it with different products that I made and use daily. There is deodorant, toothpaste and lotion in the front row. In the back we have laundry detergent, lavender disinfectant and peppermint dish soap.

 I also included a wall decal for the room she just repainted.

I wasn't so impressed with the basket, so I broke out my craft bag and added a few beads around the edge of the fabric. Small touch, but adds a little spunk!

And since it we cant exactly do a garden for here (we are two hours apart) we found a nice potted tomato that was covered with plump green tomatoes! Wahoo for a garden with out the sweat of starting it!!! Total cost: way within budget. I already had most of the items around the house. Just picked up a few items at the dollar store and wa la, perfecto. I know she's going to love it, which makes the needle pricks so worth it! (I'm not the best with hand stitching, I prefer the sewing machine.)

Gifts don't have to be something over the top in extravagance, don't blow your budget just to impress someone. Think out of the box, what can you make or pull together to make something special. Many of times I will find a nice looking box, like a hat box, and fill it with little things that have special meaning. Like a wedding present might look like a little suitcase box filled with chocolate covered strawberries, a fancy candle, bottle of wine and two glasses, and something special to wear.  With most items purchased at Ross, you can make a nice looking box on a small budget with out spending a lot of money. Don't forget the clearance section! Many people have told me how much they like the gift...years later. Most of the time it really is the thought that counts!!


 This Blog is linked to:
Homestead Barn Hop 71
Homesteader Blog Carnival 17

Filling the Freezer!

I had to do an unexpected run to the grocery store today, so I figured I could try and make it worth while. I went over to the organic side of the meat department and found this:

Organic meat gets marked down every other morning.

We were rather excited to find this meat marked down. Who is not happy to get meat that is suppose to be organic at a good price? That is 4 packs of thighs, 3 steaks, and 2 roasters for $20. Then, later in the evening we got to add the two boys to the freezer too. I am excited to see what the meat taste like compared to the stuff we by at the store! The only thing that could make this a happier story is if all the meat was raised on our property. Don't dispise the day of small beginnings, Next year perhaps!

And of course our two boys added to the shelf.

 This blog is linked to:
Homestead Barn Hop 71
Homesteader Blog Carnival 17

Friday Feel Good Moment

Much of the states have been having a rather dry summer. Here in PA, we might not be as dry as most states, but we have still been having dry weather. I've seen corn fields with corn hardly above 2 feet and I've seen fields with the corn waving their tassels majestically in the wind above my head. Some areas have brittle brown grass while other areas have green grass lacking in lushness.

Why write of the dry woes of summer? How does that make you feel good? Well, last night I heard this noise... drip, drip, plunk, CRACK, crussssssssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhh. With a few flashes of lightning and a couple cracks of thunder rain was upon us. It started as a couple of large drops and turned into the heavens opening up wide. It rained into the morning hours here. Some areas received 1.5 inches an hour.

This morning there is still a fine mist falling from the sky and the temp is set to hit a  high of 70*.  To think that just a few days ago we were in the 90's! Isn't God funny?

So, today I sigh a breath of relief as the earth is watered by the heavens and life is restored to the dry and brittle land.

Bitter Sweet Side of Homesteading

It is time to thin the flock. The boys are big enough and old enough to meet the freezer now. And I think the girls will be happy!

Sadly dear Rafael will not be staying with us as we had originally planed. Over the last few weeks he has gone from being the King of the flock to being a little to big for his britches. All the other boys have scabs on their combs and waddles from Rafael, he will not let the girls eat any scraps and at night he will chase the other chickens out of the coop. And as if the abuse to the other chickens was not enough, he is getting more and more aggressive to us. I have to admit that I swatted a chicken today out of natural reflex when he went after my hand. But as any sane person would, I laughed hysterically afterwards for spanking a chicken!

This is also the time I am grateful my dad is a hunter and more than willing to do the dirty business. Pop pop use to do his own small game butchering and did his fair share of taxidermy, so he knows what he's doing......and I'm relieved to not be the life taker! I'm not bothered by the thought of raise it to eat, or cooking it... I'm bothered with doing the act of life taking.

Not sure how Z is going to handle all this either. I'll watch him and we'll answer questions and if I feel it is too much right now, then he will be brought inside. But, this is a way of life and it will become a bigger way of our life in years to come. For that reason we do want Z to feel comfortable with the thought and not be afraid to ask questions.

What do you all do with your children when it is butchering time?

**Update**

Well, the two boys have been removed and taking care of. My son was told everything that was going to happen and what he was going to see. He decided he wanted to watch. Well, he wanted to watch until Pop Pop raised his hand into the air. Then my son took off running to the back of the house. Thank you God!! I was struggling watching the life taking part, but wanted to be strong for Z. Instead we counted how many watermelons and tomatoes were on the plants and admired the other plants. Once heads were removed he was okay with looking at the bodies. Pop Pop decided to simply skin them, Z wasn't wanting to watch that part. But once it was all said and done he wasn't bothered by it all.

The 2 boys waiting to be cleaned up.

When all was said and done, Z was ready to go pick a couple more girls out of the flock for Pop Pop....I stopped him before our precious egg layers meet their fate!

This Blog is linked to:
Homesteader Blog Carnival 17
Homestead Barn Hop 71

Down Sizing While Upgrading

The story of my life the last 6 months... down sizing and upgrading. How do you do both effectively? Move into a camper and you will find out really, really fast!!!  Living in a camper means little extra room. So little that storage space is a prized commodity. Amazingly enough I have not used up all my spare space yet! Anyways, when we were cleaning out our storage unit and getting ready for our big move to our home with a hitch, we got rid of a lot of stuff. Two trunk fulls and a truck load of stuff. Let's just say the local thrift store doesn't have to worry about going out of business just yet.

 A sure fire way to reduce clutter and extra stuff in your home is to pack everything up and go live with a family member for a few months to a year. When you need to unpack all the stuff you had, you realize how much stuff you have that you don't need or haven't used in about a decade. (Ok, maybe not a decade, I'm only married 6 years.) Along with all the down sizing and removal of stuff, I got rid of almost all my elctrical appliances. I did keep the juicer and the toaster oven.....and the waffle iron. But I need new stuff to replace the old stuff. In comes the upgrade!
 

Say Hello to Culinare Rocket Chef 7 in 1!

This little thing works! And you can find it rather affordable on ebay. Mine just so happened to be from a friend who never used it and didn't want it to collect dust anymore. Can you say one mans junk is another mans treasure?!?! This little thing comes with a grater, plunger, large slicer, thin slicer, mixer, beater and chopper and of course a lid. The best part? It all fits inside the mixing bowel for easy storage. I put this thing to the real test last night. We made mocha smoothies. A very, very special treat in our house.

In went the ice, what better way to test this product?

I started off with chopping up a little bit of ice to see if it was worth opening the smoothie packet. Surprisingly it did rather well. Not as fast as an electric chopper, but in less than five minutes it was all finished. I could have spent a little more time chopping up the ice as there were a couple large pieces, but over all it was great and worked well.

The finished product, with one large piece of ice.

I have used this item on simpler things, like soft veggies, but the ice was the kicker. If it could chop the ice then it was worthy of its praise. I would like to encourage you to go through your cupboards and closets and look at the stuff you have. If you haven't touched an item in a year or two then consider passing it on. Think about items you can use whether you have power or not. One thing I know for sure is my family won't starve if we lose power for an extended period of time. We have multiple hand crank items and lots of cast iron dishes. Let me tell you, dinner over the fire is the best tasting!

This blog is linked to:
Homestead Barn Hop 70
Homesteader Blog Carnival 16

Can You Homestead without Community?

We all have our own reason for homesteading. It could be for a number of reasons like or similar to having grown up farming, desire to be healthier, desire for self sufficiency and so on. But the question I pose for you to ponder is... Can you successfully homestead without community?

Sure, you can take care of your animals, perhaps you can even grow your own produce and raise your own meat, maybe even grow all the food your animals need. It's as if you are doing most of this yourself. But what if an animal takes ill or your equipment breaks down? Chances are you will need some assistance from the outside.

You know the old saying "It takes a village to raise a child"? The wisdom of those who have raised children before us, garden for decades, canned produce, raised animals, built barns or houses... they have knowledge and know how that a lot of us lack. And yet the abilities some of us younger ones have, in regards to use of technology, we can help our elders who have the knowledge.

We can't do everything alone. If the worse where to hit America tomorrow, would you be prepared? Forget hoarding rice and beans....not that it is a bad idea to have food on hand, you never know when there could be those times where they would be needed... this would be the time people would be relieved they have neighbors of like mindedness and community counts.

Perhaps you have an awesome garden. I mean a garden that is set up to produce year round with fruits and veggies. Maybe its an two or five acres big and brings productive to a new level. But, you are lacking in protein. Well, let's just say the neighbor two doors up has 100 chickens popping out dozens or eggs a day, 200 head of cattle and milking cows, and a couple dozen breeding rabbits. I would say that would be a little bit too much meat/eggs/milk for one family. Now lets say that just by chance the gardener and the farmer are lacking in the ability to cook from scratch with what they have before them (no extras from the store), but the sweet older lady that lives between you two can cook like no other. I mean that mouth watering aroma that can make the best chefs be put to shame. But, this dear woman is to old to milk a cow/goat or too feeble as to be workings rows upon rows of fruits and veggies in the garden. I would have to say this would be the perfect set up for community living.

In essence, it is all about living and working together. Many would be lonely by there self 24/7. We need each other, why else do people date or marry? Don't try and do it alone, eventually you will need someone else, why not start with finding people of like mind and work together now, before it is to late.

On a side note dust off the movie WALL* E. We rented it from the library and my son loved it. I found it a little inspirational. It led me to think of this quote I had once read: 1. Whenever technology does not humanize it dehumanizes (diminishes man). 2. Whatever diminishes man diminishes his capacity to receive God. 3. Therefore bad technology is spiritually alienating and destructive to the soul. 

 That said, I am not catholic and don't care for titles, however I felt this was a good thought to ponder.

This blog is linked to:
Homestead Barn Hop 70
Homesteader Blog Carnival 16

Friday Feel Good Moment

Would you like to come for a walk with me? Not far from where we live is a beautiful rose garden. About five acres of roses that weave around a path and surround a pond.

 The colors are vibrant and reach every tone imaginable. The fragrance can take you to another place. So rich is the scent, so perfect that no man can recreate the perfection. It hovers around your shoulders and waffs through your senses.

Only God could make colors as vibrant and fragrances so taking that can lift you away from the earth we created.

Kick the Shampoo and Conditioner to the Curb!

Since October of 2011 I have not used store bought shampoo or conditioner. For me, this was a big deal! I have thick, very thick hair. It is also very coarse. Every time I tried organic or natural products my hair would dry out like straw and my scalp would get very tender/sore. But I struggle using store bought products.

What's a girl to do?! Well, hit the web and search for an answer of course! So I read story after story after story about no poo. I read articles about hair and natural hair oil and everything in between. There had to be an answer for my situation.

That would be when I decided the no poo method was for me... I hoped. Well, nine months later, I would say it was the right decision. AND cheap!!!

You need three ingredients for cleaning your hair. You ready for this list? Water, apple cider vinegar and baking soda!! That's it!! My hair is soft, it shines in the sun, and I only wash it every 3-4 days. Very happy me! My hair actually looks better than when I was using store bought... believe it or not.

Old Shampoo bottle turned vinegar w/ cinnamon stick, squeeze bottle, baking soda in a jar, and apple cider vinegar needing to be replaced! Walaa!

So how does this work? Simply mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda to 1 cup of water and mix till dissolved. Splitting your hair into sections, apply mixture to your roots. Rub in and then rinse. Then mix 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of water and mix. Repeat the process to apply it to your roots and rub in again. I usually let this part sit a little longer then the baking soda before I rinse out.

I usually wash my hair before bed and I always let my hair air dry. Depending on humidity, I can wake to wonderful curls or funky waves. If my hair decides to curl nicely then I'm set for the day. However, if it gets funky then I take a curling iron and straighten my hair. Other wise, it's no fuss for a few days.

I do want to say, it takes longer to wash it this way, but being you don't have to wash it every day or every other day, it kind of evens out. I presently have very hard water, but when I was washing my hair with filtered water, at our last place, I could go 6 days before washing. I've read of people who wash their hair every 14 days. That's crazy! Your hair doesn't feel dirty, it doesn't feel greasy, and it looks healthy.

How's this work? Well, using store/salon products strips the natural oils from your hair. So your hair produces more and more oils to compensate for what it feels is missing...hence the oily hair after a day or two. Well, the baking soda and vinegar simply clean and cleanse with out stripping the oil. Therefore giving your hair the choice to decide how much oil is right for your hair. Let me say that if you do decide to try this method, you will go through a detox faze where your hair will try to figure out how much oil is too much and how much is not enough. During this faze, for me it lasted about two weeks, my hair was first really dry and then really oily. But, once that passed it was great! Just grab a hair band and die it up during that time!

To make things easier, I mix up a batch of vinegar water in an old shampoo bottle. I add a little vanilla to add fragrance and a cinnamon stick (DO NOT use cinnamon powder as many are allergic or will get burns from it!). Let the stick sit in the bottle for a couple of batches. I also keep a jar of baking soda in the bathroom. When I wash my hair, I just add a little baking soda to a squeeze bottle I have in the shower and shake it up with water. I also have a squeeze bottle for the vinegar mix.

To make it cheaper... I usually use Braggs apple cider, but for my hair I use cheap stuff.

This is something you have to try for a couple of months faithfully before you can really decide if you love it or hate it. Hope you give it a try!

This blog is linked to:
Homestead Barn Hop 70
Homesteader Blog Carnival 16

That Song

Was there ever a song that could carry you away and change the atmosphere? Sometimes by David Crowder does that to me. Whether I purposely play it or it happens to come on with out my noticing, I feel my spirit sore. Earlier today, as I was washing dishes, my son was listening to music. I wasn't focused on what was playing, I knew it was the Passion cd and there was no need to worry. But then, there was such a refreshing feeling that came over me and that's when I noticed it was that song. Whether I feel happy or sad, stressed or free, this song just makes everything seems a little brighter, a little free-er. Does that make sense? I sure hope you have a song that does that for you.

 And for good measure, here is another amazing song! Arms Wide Open by Misty Edwards.

Friday Feel Good Moment

What a joyful way to start the day. Your little ones have played hard the day and night before. They swam and ran. They climbed into bed and feel fast to sleep. You followed suit. As your eyes drift closed your last thoughts are of hope that your precious one sleeps late.

The next morning, you open your eyes and stretch. With a glance of the clock you notice it is after 8:30! The little one is asleep... still. Boy, do you feel refreshed! Not only did you get to sleep in, but you got to wake on your own timing, slowly and gradually. Then, you get to read your devotional time in the peace of the still morning. By the time your little one emerges for the covers you are awake feel refreshed and ready to conquer animals, cleaning, and peanut butter smeared faces!

Oh, what a joyful way to start a day!

Can't Love Enough!

As I have said in the past, I was a youth pastor. I loved working with, crying with, laughing with, and just simply being with the teens. When it was time to lay down the position and start in a new directions, it was hard.....very hard. To this day (almost 4 years later) I still think back and miss them!

That said, a man came up to me after we walked away and asked how I was doing. I told him I missed those kids. When you are with the teens for a number of years, watching them enter middle school and work all the way through leaving for college, they become like your children. This man, a man I respect, looked at me and said my problem was I let myself love them. I looked at him dumb founded. I was wrong to love them?!? He went on to say that you should never let your self fall in love with the people you work with, that way it's easier to correct them, to lead them and to leave them.

Those words have not left me all these years. I have thought about them a number of times. I have also come to this conclusion: I didn't love them enough. (Wow, emotional moment! Need a tissue!) When two sisters had a heart breaking happening, I was ready to redo my spare room for them, if ever need be. When ever I got a phone call, I was in my car and on my way over. We watched baseball games, birthday parties, graduations. When a father/mother walked out, we were there for as long as we were needed....night after night after night. If someone couldn't afford retreat, we payed for them... even when we didn't have money for groceries.

Some might say we were crazy and did more than necessary. Perhaps, but at the same time I would have done more if I could. For some, we were their only leading to God. Sometimes it felt like we gave them their only hope for tomorrow. When we walked away, we had to hope we gave them our best and that they got to know Jesus for the awesomeness that He is. I knew we accomplished this, at least to the best of our abilities, when a year later we got a phone call asking for prayer. Or when you get the email of a precious one saying they were thinking of me. Or the invite to a wedding.

You can be just another person in the lives of those around you, or you can show them a love that is different. Perhaps the only love they have known to date. In the words of Jesus, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

You can not love enough, that is what I have learned.

Bountiful Bee Balm

We have bee balm….. I mean have we got bee balm!!! My mom tried to rip the bee balm out, but it has relentlessly continued to grow. This was all before we started a lifestyle change. I was recently looking into flowers we can grow in complete shade and also use on the dinner table. Bee balm happened to appear on a list I pulled up.

Bee balm, now that struck my fancy! So I looked into it and let me tell you, bee balm will no longer be torn out of the garden! Every part of the plant can be used. Every single part! Talk about no waste.

 So, why bee balm, what does it do? Well you can use it internally and externally.  Let’s start off with its family, the mint family. That said, most of us would know we could use the leaves to make mint tea, mint water, etc. The flower petals are also edible, making an attractive pop of color in salads. So what does this plant do to help you internally? Well it helps with general digestion, gas, poor appetite, colic, bloating, nausea, and vomiting.  It is also said to help with menstrual cramps and insomnia.

Be balm can also be used externally. Steamed in hot water mint can help to sooth cold symptoms, sore throat, fever, and congestion. As an ointment it is used to speed the healing of minor wounds, insect bites/stings, eczema, psoriasis, cold sores, and acne, as well as a pain reliever. Make a compress out of a cloth soaked in bee balm tea to use its antiseptic and antibacterial properties.

Finally, we all hate being attacked by bugs. You can rub bee balm leaves on your skin to act as insect repellent. However, this can make your skin extra sensitive to the sun resulting in burns.

As always be careful using natures bounty if you have allergies, thyroid issues, or are pregnant. Use with caution and do some research before using to make sure this is safe for you and/or your family.

Pages used to gather info:

http://www.offthegridnews.com/2012/04/26/many-uses-for-bee-balm/

http://www.altnature.com/gallery/beebalm.htm

This blog has been linked to
Homestead Barn Hop 69
Homestead Blog Carnival 15