The Farmstead Apothecary

My Children

2011-11-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

For those of you who inquire about my children, I thought I would post some updated pictures. Savannah is 14, Ben is 12, Nicholas is 11, Gabriella is 8, Quinn is 6 and Ysabella will be 3 in 2 days!

Under the Willow Tree

2011-10-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

I've always loved weeping willow trees. They are so naturally relaxed. Just look at them. Sitting quietly under the boughs of a young weeping willow like this (or find an old one!) is guaranteed to have a calming effect. Breathe deeply, close your eyes, feel the wind blowing gently...
Willow trees have other natural medicinal uses as well.

White Willow: Weeping Willow is the graceful tree that provides nature's aspirin. In fact, pharmaceutical aspirin was originally created from a chemical very similar to one found in white willow bark. Today there are more reasons than ever to use this herb. Medical research shows that this chemical in white willow (called salicin) not only reduces fever and relieves pain and inflammation but also may help prevent heart attack, stroke, digestive tract cancers and migraine headaches.

Herbal experts say that white willow bark will work on fever, pain and inflammation. It will stand in for aspirin, but not quite as well. The salicylate content of willow bark varies. The herb may also help people who suffer from migraine headaches, since use of low-dose aspirin has been shown to significantly reduce attacks.

To make a medicinal drink, soak one teaspoon of powdered bark per cup of cold water for eight hours. Strain it and drink up to three cups a day. White willow tastes bitter and astringent. To improve the taste, you can add sugar or honey and lemon. You can also mix it into an herbal beverage tea.

Aspirin upsets some people's stomachs, but most herbalists say white willow bark rarely causes this problem. If stomach upset, nausea or ringing in the ears develops, reduce your dose or discontinue use. Pregnant women and those with chronic gastrointestinal conditions such as ulcers, colitis or Crohn's disease should not use this herb.

The Trumpet of the Swan

2011-10-30T10:20:00.000-07:00

We had a pair of trumpeter swans visit our pond. It seems that they were interested in meeting Nick's duck. They stayed for about an hour. They really do sound amazingly like trumpets.

The two swans were tired from the long flight. They were glad to be down out of the sky. They paddled slowly about and then began feeding, thrusting their necks into the shallow water and pulling roots and plants from the bottom. Everything about the swans was white except their bills and their feet; these were black. They carried their heads high. The pond seemed a different place because of their arrival.
The life of a swan must be a very pleasant and interesting life.
-The Trumpet of the Swan
by EB White

Gratitude Up North!

2011-10-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

What? Jennifer Ferris moved up north? Can this be true?

Yes, the rumor is true. We are now residents of Houghton Lake, Michigan...officially "Up North". But, we are still trolls. We did not cross the bridge.
And guess what?
I LOVE IT! It is so incredibly beautiful here. Most mornings when I look out the window all I can say is, "thank you." Gratitude. That is the one feeling that most describes the last 3 months. When things seemed pretty bleak, I kept reminding myself and my children of our many, many blessings. I just knew that the Master of the Universe had great plans for us. And it looks like I was right. He was sick of hearing my whining and complaining. Once I changed my tune to something more like praise, things began turning around. And they turned around fast, too! If you would have told me 4 months ago that this would be my life, I would not haved believed it. I longed to go south and I never appreciated that I lived in Michigan. Well, now that I've seen the pristine beauty that belongs to the northern parts, I can honestly say that I am grateful to live in such a lovely state.

So, now I'm inspired to blog again. And I'm inspired to create and work.

Sunshine Exposure

2011-04-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

My favorite natural beauty treatment is sunshine and fresh air! Daily sun exposure can impart a healthy glow to the skin, prevent vitamin D deficiency, support hormonal functions, improve mood and energy levels, decrease depression symptoms, and even clear up skin disorders like acne, eczema, etc. Let's be honest, doesn't everyone look better with a sun-kissed glow? I sure think so! Did you know that only a generation ago, many mothers would even give their babies a "sun bath" daily? If the weather wouldn't permit them to place baby in the shade on the porch or under a tree, they would scoot the bassinet in front of a bright window during the daylight hours. I know that my grandmothers, and even my mother, were firm believers in daily exposure to fresh air and sunshine for good health. Housework was always done in the morning and early afternoon hours during the summer months so that the afternoons could be spent in the backyard on a big blanket, with magazines, lemonade, or iced tea and snacks. I'll admit that neither Mom nor Grandma ever slathered us with sunscreen...and we spent hours upon hours playing outside day after day. Now, I'm not trying to stir up a big debate here, but I am saying that children were a whole lot healthier back then than they are now. We are told now to limit sun exposure between the hours of 10 a.m and 3 p.m. Are you kidding me? That is the prime of the day! What should they be doing then? Playing video games in the basement? Sorry if I am stepping on some toes here, but I'm not buying it. We live in the north and after months of cold weather and cloudy days, when the temps rise above 60 degrees and the sun comes out to play for the summer, you had better believe that we are heading outside! And for the record, the women in my family look incredible for their ages. If they damaged their skin from the years of sunbathing, you surely can't tell. My great-granmother will be 102 years old this year and she is still beautiful. Obviously, a form of sun bathing exists that isn't good for anyone. I do not advocate laying on reflecting blankets while slathering yourself in mineral oil for 5 hours a day. Please! And I also do not advocate the regular habit of artificially tanning yourself in a booth or bed. I'm talking about exposing yourself to good, old fashioned sunshine and fresh air!
I also want to point out that we have been blessed with the type of skin tone that naturally tans without burning in my family. If you have the type of skin that burns easily, then you will obviously need to take more precautions. I would suggest covering up with light weight cotton materials, natural fiber hats and the use of some natural sunscreen (without chemicals!). Look for products that contain PABA, titanium oxide, or zinc. Cocoa butter, shea butter, hemp seed oil, raspberry seed oil, and many other natural vegetable based oils and butters do offer natural sun protection, as well.

UV exposure is a real concern and air pollution has diminished the natural protective shield that the earth's ozone layer provides us, so I am not suggesting that you throw away your good judgement and burn yourself to a crisp, but it is my opinion that we need more sunlight in our lives, not less. Eating a diet rich in EPA fatty acids will also provide you with additional natural sun protection.

For those of you, like me, who have chosen to allow your skin to naturally tan, I have developed a natural tanning elixer that I call Sun Drench. It is chock full of oganic hemp seed oil! One of the finest skin care ingredients in nature's pantry! It also contains oganic aloe juice, organic cocoa butter, organic raw cacao powder and vitamin E. This oil will nourish, hydrate and naturally protect your skin while encouraging a rich, healthy, sunkissed tan! Check it out in the Etsy shop now.

Free Shipping Sale!

2011-04-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

Spend over $25.00 and enter coupon code: APRILFREESHIPPING

Why not use this opportunity to try the hair care products? I've also listed a lip balm sampler today. Try out all 5 of our fabulous, organic, raw lip balms for only $15.00!

Raw Cacao Facial

2011-04-13T12:19:00.000-07:00

Recipe: 1 TB raw cacao, 1tsp tumeric, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground dried nettle, 1/2 tsp pink himayan

salt. Add enough water to make a paste, spread on clean skin and leave for 10 minutes. Rinse well.

A Testimonial

2011-04-13T12:14:00.000-07:00

Jennifer,

I just wanted to tell you how much this conditioner has totally RENEWED my hair!! I have hair down to my waist, which means I've obviously been growing it for awhile. As such, the hair towards the ends, including the ends, tends to be dryer and not as healthy looking (relative to the newer growth). Although I don't have split ends, I've been complaining about my dry ends for awhile. Once I started using your conditioner, I noticed a big change after about three uses (I wash my hair at least 3 times a week--I sweat alot at the gym ; ) ) Anyhow, after using your conditioner for at least 2 weeks now, my hair looks "younger", fresher, healthier, shinier---honestly. It's hard to find a conditioner that conditions and moisturizes without weighing down one's hair--yours is the one!!

Cheers and thank you!

Lesa

Listing: www.etsy.com/listing/70798353/peppermint-purifying-conditioning

Hair Care

2011-04-13T11:43:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you the story behind my new hair products.
I wear my hair long (middle back) and so do my daughters. I love the natural look of long hair. We moved to this new farm 2 years ago now and I slowly started noticing that my color was changing. My hair is a natural dark chocolate color. It started taking on a very brassy look. Then it began getting dry and losing it's luster. My daughter Savannah has light brown hair that began looking brassy and dry too. By the time I woke up and realized that our well water was destroying our hair, it was too late. Mine actually looked like someone was yanking handfulls out of the back by my neck. It was an emotional day when I had to have several inches cut off, up to my shoulders! Savannah also had about 6 inches cut off of hers. Obviously we have a filter now but we are considering moving again because of the severity of the water problem. We are surrounded on all 4 sides by big agricultural farms that are literally poisoning our ground water here. I'm worried about our health. We've always had well water yet I've never experienced anything like this. My hair was always healthy before, even with hard water.
So, after the ordeal of having my hair cut, I had to come up with something to restore it's health and encourage new growth. I'm taking a lot of the oils that I'm using in my products internally as supplements as well as applying them to my skin and hair. I've noticed a big difference and our hair is begining to feel like real hair again too! I just can't wait for it to grow back! I keep telling myself that by the end of the summer, if all goes well, it should be close to the length it was before.

I'm sold on broccoli seed oil for hair health! It offers an all natural ingredient for creating shine and gloss in hair on a comparative level with the industry standard, silicone. Broccoli oil's unique combination of fatty acids offers stability while maintaining a non-greasy lubricative property. I've only just begun in my expirementations with this amazing ingredient! Both the Green Gardens Hair Cleanser and the Peppermint Purifying Conditioning Treatment contain broccoli seed oil.
The hair cleanser is sulfate free, which makes it very gentle and less drying than your standard detergent based shampoo. The purifying cleanser contains ingredients like activated charcoal that detox the hair while coating the cuticle. It pulls out toxins while moisturizing, conditioning, and smoothing the hair.

I hope you'll give these products a try! I'm very happy with the results in my own personal hair crisis. Hopefully I can offer more natural, raw and organic hair products soon.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/70792908/natural-herbal-hair-cleanserbroccoli

What's in a label?

2011-04-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

Are you slathering stuff on your body that would probably make you sick if you ate it? Think about it! What about all that stuff that's in your shower? Or your makeup bag? Could you really eat it? Read the ingredient label. Do you recognize any of those words? Maybe a few, right there at the very bottom of the list...that stuff looks familiar. But what about the other stuff. WHAT IS IT?
I've noticed a lot of products lately that label themselves as "Natural", "Handmade", or my favorite one..."Vegan Friendly". So what! What does that really say about the product? Sadly, many consumers look at those words and immediately assume that those labels mean the stuff is wholesome, organic, good for you. I'm sorry to burst the bubble, but that is simply NOT the case. Now, certainly some items that define themselves as natural, handmade or vegan friendly are, in fact, good and wholesome products. But not always. You, the consumer, need to educate yourself! Read the ingredient label!
Hey, my stuff is natural and handmade...a few things could even be called, "vegan friendly", although you won't catch me labeling anything that way. It would be a bit hypocritical since I've built my business around goat milk and other ingredients like honey, beeswax and lanolin, things that true vegans won't touch. What I'm trying to say is that while some "vegan friendly" shops are also dedicated to using organic and wholesome ingredients, too many of them are selling chemical concoctions that smell great, look fun, but basically poison the body and interfere with the delicate balance of the male and female hormonal system. But, because they are not using any ingredients derived from animals (milk, honey, lanolin, beeswax, etc...) they are technically friendly to vegans. Most true vegans are pretty well educated on what's healthy and what's not, but a lot of people don't really understand veganism. They jump on board because it seems like the cool thing to do. I really have issues with people who do that!
What about "natural"? That seems like an obvious term, doesn't it? Well, unfortunately it is not. The best example that I can give to this would be all of the processed foods that contain ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, gmo soy and corn, cottonseed oil, etc. These are often labeled as natural. Well, corn might be natural, but high fructose corn syrup is NOT. And as far as the genetic engineering of non-organic soy, corn, canola, cottonseed, sugar beets, etc., that pretty much disqualifies any product with those ingredients from my shopping list. (Note: I said non-organic. As of now, organic ingredients must be identity preserved, meaning not gmo.)
Handmade is great. I love handmade! I love that an actual person put time, care, and love into making a product for sale. I love the idea that a person or an individual family can benefit from my purchase rather than a corporation. But, handmade does not mean that something is of quality. Common sense tells us that!

Please pay attention to what is in your products. It really does matter what we eat, what we put on our skin, what we breathe, what we drink. It ALL affects our health. Your skin, your body, your family, your children, your future is counting on you to take the time to educate yourself!

2 more babies!

2011-04-08T14:18:00.000-07:00

Kelsey had her babies last night. Can you believe it...she gave us two more sweet girls! We are so thrilled!

I'm already having a sale for Java's girls. Don't forget to enter coupon code: JAVA2 and save 10%!

We named the new babies Rachel and Leah.

Twitter

2011-04-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

You can now follow me on Twitter...
http://twitter.com/Jen_Ferris

And don't forget to become a fan on facebook...look up our business page @ the-farmstead-apothecary

Save 10%!

2011-04-07T07:19:00.000-07:00

Enter coupon code: JAVA2 and save 10% off your order. This coupon is only good until Sunday, April 10!

Java and her babies are doing great. Now we are waiting on Kelsey to have hers. The poor thing looks like she is ready to burst and I honestly don't know how she is even walking at this point. She is huge!

I listed some new soap varieties yesterday. They are very delicate soaps, nice for dainty skin. I've used coconut milk and almond milk, along with buttermilk and some do contain goat milk. We don't have much goat milk to spare at this time of year. In a month I'll have goat milk coming out my ears, so that is when you'll start seeing some new cold process types being listed. For now, I think you'll enjoy the soap rounds that I've created.

-Almond Milk
-Coconut Milk
-Primrose
-Shea Buttermilk
-Hemp

You can get the descriptions and ingredients at the Etsy shop, http://www.etsy.com/listing/71630264/natural-soapyou-choose-3.

Babies in the Barn!

2011-04-06T08:45:00.000-07:00

Java, our beautiful LaMancha dairy goat, gave us twin girls! Girls are the best when you are raising dairy goats so we were super excited about this double blessing! Java's previous farmer had never allowed her to mother her babies. They were always taken from her immediately following the birth and bottle fed with milk replacer. This is NOT how we do things on our farm. Our mothers and babies are always kept together for the first weeks. This encourages proper behavior to develop (they are goats, not humans!) and it also ensures that the babies remain in good health. (If goat milk is so healthy and good for humans, just imagine how beneficial it is for baby goats!) A well fed and cared for LaMancha dairy goat will undoubtedly have enough milk to feed her babies plus some to share with her farmer's family. Java has not disappointed us. Her maternal instinct is as strong as ever. We were not sure how she would react to actually being left with her babies, since she had been robbed of the experience for so long, but she has bonded with them and is giving them all the care they need. Nature is amazing. The Creator is awesome!

We named them Mocha and Latte.

New Moisturizers!

2011-03-29T07:38:00.000-07:00

Where Have We Been...?

2011-03-29T07:35:00.000-07:00

Many of you are wondering why The Farmstead Apothecary seemed to fall of the face of the earth for several months. A few reasons exist, but the primary reason was that I just couldn't possibly keep up with the demands of the business while keeping my two year old daughter, Ysabella, from falling to her death from the top of the stairs, saving her from tipping the refrigerator over on top of herself, scooping her up off the floor after she crashed from the top of the kitchen table, sweeping the chokable objects from her mouth a dozen times a day, stopping her in the nick of time from pulling plugs, tearing up school work, eating dog food, cleaning out the cat litter, swishing things in the toilet bowl... Do you get the picture? So, that is what I've been up to since last summer. What toddler isn't somewhat of a challenge? She can be just as sweet as an apple pie, too! And the girl can dance! She loves music. We all enjoy her so much and wouldn't trade her personality for any other. But, she demanded my full attention in order to keep her from severely injuring herself during this past year with her antics. I worked from home pleasantly and peacefully (most of the time!)when Quinn was her age so we will attempt to find our balance again now that she has passed the two year mark and is begining to settle down a litte bit. Just a bit...

Besides that, we went without internet service for 6 months in order to save money and LOVED it! Can you imagine? And we still don't have television other than for dvd viewing! It has been over 5 years now. I highly recommend it! Oh, the books you can read.

I did break down and sign up for a Facebook page just for the business, so please look us up and become a fan (the-farmstead-apothecary)! Spread the word, please! I can't do this without your help. I will be periodically posting free shipping codes on the Facebook page once I get enough fans, so make sure you visit it often and tell all of your friends!

I am also considering re-opening my From Fields and Gardens website. Let me know what your thoughts are on that. For those of you who don't recall, it was full of simple living information, health and nutrition help, recipes, etc.

Well, I sure hope to get caught up with all of you over the next few weeks. Send me an etsy convo!

Blessings,

Jennifer

Happy 100th Birthday, Grandma!

2009-09-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

Baby Goats and Puppies

2009-07-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

Baby Goats

2009-07-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

We had quite the week! Two of our pregnant does, Snow Flurry and Cookie, both decided to kid at the same time! Yep, within the same hour we had two goats delivering babies. It was so exciting! First, Cookie had twins...two handsome and healthy bucklings. The first one she had is one of the finest looking goat kids we have ever seen. He is multi-colored with bright blue eyes and excellent conformation. We are strongly considering keeping him as a buck. The boys named him Boone (as in Daniel), but affectionately call him, "Boonie". Her second boy is also fine looking, having a white coat with a black stripe down his back and salt and pepper dappleing around his eyes. His name is Crockett (as in Davy). While she was licking them off, her mother, Snow Flurry, barely made it into her kidding stall before delivering her first baby, a pure white little girl. The girls named her Snow White. Her second one, Boulder, came while I ran to the farm store to grab a few things that we realized we were out of. (Not expecting this many babies at once!) He is also pure white. Then the tradgedy struck...her third one needed help. It was breech and in a very bad position. David had to pull it out and to our great sadness, it had a birth defect that prevented it from living. It was a hard thing. Especially since the evening had begun in such a celebratory fashion. But, the next morning when we went out to the barn to greet our four healthy, bouncing and adorable kids the sadness faded. Both mothers were in excellent shape and the surviving babies were perfect. Then a few days later, Swanli decided that she would bless our little farm with two more healthy kids! She gave us a sweet little girl whom I named Heidi. She has a dappled gray and brown coloring with beautiful blue eyes. Her brother is a handsome little guy, too. Being white with large caramel colored spots, he is called Caramel. All of our kids in this batch have blue eyes! That makes them special. They are so much fun to watch and they are filling our days with excitement. What I find so sweet is that when it is time to nap, they will pair off with their brother or sister and find a place near the kidding pens to curl up together. They know who their sibling is. They take more comfort in their sibling than in their mother. They head out to find mom when they get hungry, but otherwise they are content to be playing with the other babies, especially their own brother or sister. Of all three mothers, Cookie is by far the best. She will always come to check up on hers and she makes sure that they are nursing enough. Snow Flurry, who is our herd matriarch and the mother of both Swanli and Cookie, is not overly affectionate with her kids after a day or two. She gives them the attention and milk that they need, but nothing more. Swanli tends to take after her mother. She is more concerned with feeding herself than feeding her babies. Cookie is much more tender and motherly. But, nonetheless, all of the babies are healthy and well fed. The only sour part of all of this is knowing that the boys must go soon. They will be for sale in around 6 weeks. We are also getting to the point now where we will have to begin choosing which girls to keep and which to sell. We only have so much room. That is the tough part for us, especially the children. We also have a litter of Shetland Sheepdogs right now that are nearly ready to leave the nest. We decided to breed Trixy one more time and she gave us an exceptional litter of three puppies, one boy (Scooter) and two girls (Molly and Honey). I am strongly considering keeping Molly. She is a chocolate brown color which is not really what you want in a Shetland Sheepdog pup, as far as markings and coloring, but that is precisely why I love her. She is fiesty and has been since the day she was born. I am quite attached to her. Quinn is in puppy love with Scooter, as is Daddy. This is why we said that we wouldn't breed Trixy again after her last litter. But, her pups were so nice that we thought we owed it to the world of Shelties to add a few more Trixy/Banjo offspring. This will be the last for sure. Our last litter went to people we know...one to my sister's family and the other to a lady who works for my sister. We get to keep in touch with the pups and they are well loved and taken care of. We are hoping for the same thing with this litter. They are beautiful dogs, smart, affectionate, and should have a strong herding instinct...what more could you want in a puppy?
So, as you can see, we are very busy around here right now! But, what fun it is!

Summertime Happenings!

2009-07-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

During the 4th of July, my children set up a little stand out in front of our garden to try and lure in some of the "lake people". We have lots of traffic down our country road during summer weekends due to the lakes around the area. In fact, Lake Pleasant is only one mile down the road from us. We were able to enjoy a wonderful fireworks show from the lake without leaving our own yard!

This morning they all went fishing at the little pond back behind our house. We'll fry the fish up for dinner tonight on the cast iron skillet over an open fire. Visit me over at http://www.peasantmeals.blogspot.com/ later on for details on my fish batter recipe.

I enjoy summertime so much. It is just too short for me. I should be living much further south!

Get Outdoors!

2009-07-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

Being outdoors is what summer is all about! Breathing the fresh air, eating good food, playing with the children... Make sure you take advantage of this season and get outside! Plan to eat outdoors tonight. Pick up a watermelon for dessert and have a seed spitting contest. Let the children run around the yard and catch fireflies. Sit outdoors as the sun goes down and sip a glass of iced herbal tea or homemade lemonade. Take a walk down your road. Go barefoot. Run through the sprinkler. Pitch a tent in the backyard. Eat ice cream cones. Relax.

Shipping Orders

2009-06-30T07:50:00.000-07:00

If you took part in my first ever 30% off co-op, you are no doubt watching the mail for your package. With the above normal warmth and humidity of last week, I had some troubles with my products melting and not wanting to thicken up properly. Now we are in the midst of a cool spell! This kind of cool weather helps a lot, so I hope you'll all recieve your products in perfect condition. Most everything has been shipped and what is left will go out today or tomorrow.
The co-op was such a success that I will likely do another one this fall.

I've got some new products listed in my Etsy shop at the moment and for a limited time, you can take advantage of FREE SHIPPING on all US orders of $25.00 or more. I will either refund your shipping costs via paypal or you can convo me your order and I'll put up a special listing. It's up to you.

Amish Made Baby Hats

2009-06-16T15:43:00.000-07:00

I have had so many compliments and requests for Ysabella's hat. My mother actually made the hat, but I made a similar one for Savannah when she was a little tot. Gabriella has one too. I have arranged to have them made by my Amish friends and former neighbors. They are the same girls who sew my aprons and bags. These girls are very talented! If you are interested in getting one of these hats, they will be custom made. They are reversible and one side will be a patchwork. You can choose a color and a size but the final design will be unique!

Sizes:

0-6 months

6-12 months

12-18 months

Youth Small (2T-4T)

Youth Medium (4T-6)

Youth Large ((6-9)

These hats are stretchy and these sizes are approximate.

Color Family:

Pink/Lavender

Yellow/Green

Red

Orange

Blue

If you are interested, leave me a comment here or send me an Etsy convo. The hats will take from 5-7 days to complete. The cost for baby hats is $16.50 and youth hats are $17.50. Shipping is included in this price.

Aprons will be listed on Etsy soon! The girls are busy sewing for me again!

30% Off!

2009-06-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

Wow! Enough orders came in throughout the day to put us over the top! With over $800.00 in orders, all who participated in the co-op will recieve 30% off their totals! How cool is that? Thanks so much to all of you! Please pay your invoices promptly so that I can make my supply order and get your orders shipped as quickly as possible! Looks like I am going to busy making lots of lotions, creams, and soaps the next 2 weeks!

If you missed out on this, I might still be able to include you. Just send me an Etsy convo. Since we've met out maximum discount, it won't change anybody's order total if I add additional orders now.

Enjoying the Outdoors

2009-05-22T16:34:00.000-07:00

An Old Fashioned Family Picnic

2009-05-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

To kick off the warm weather season, my entire family (extended on my mother's side) got together at Rocky Pine Acres, which is my grandfather's 100 acre farm, for an old-fashioned family picnic! It was delicious fun for everybody and the weather was perfect! The children hunted for coins in a pile of sawdust, played follow the leader, and had a potato sack race (adults were involved in this one too!). The main event was the amazing race between families. 7 families competed against each other and raced around the property finding clues. Then we ate barbequed turkey sandwhiches, fried chicken, and potato salad. To end the day, we had the rubber ducky race down the stream. Nothing says summer like a picnic. The next event is in July. This time we'll be having a fishing competition. The children can't wait!

Dandelions

2009-05-02T11:26:00.000-07:00

Many of you already know that I love dandelions so much! In fact, they may very well be one of my favorite flowers! Why? Well, they are a bright and cheerful sign that spring is here at last! They are also delicious and healthy to eat. Today we are making dandelion fritters! If you love dandelions and you have children at home, check out this awesome link http://www.universalpreschool.com/how-to/dandelion_fun.asp. Enjoy!

Fresh Bread

2009-04-30T17:08:00.000-07:00

Benjamin has developed an interest in baking. He would like to learn to bake artisanal breads and possibly build an outdoor oven this summer. He really does a fine job and makes his loaves by hand from start to finish...no bread machines for this kid. I am quite impressed so far. His 10th birthday is coming up in July and I'm thinking of getting him some stoneware. My children never cease to amaze me.

Of course, I had to post another adorable picture of Ysabella...just because!

Isn't She Lovely?

2009-04-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

I just can't help but post pictures of Ysabella. I want to show her off! Here she is with her daddy. She is such a good natured baby...kissable, soft and lovable.

Gabriella and Sunflower

2009-04-30T16:54:00.000-07:00

This picture is from a couple of years ago but remains one of my favorites.

New Goats

2009-04-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are some pictures of our new goats. Spot is the cream colored doe, Minnie is the sleek black and white doe, and Brisco is the white and black buck.

So far, so good. Spot is an excellent milker. Minnie should improve once she freshens for a second time. She is a first freshener, which means that she has only produced kids once. The teats on first time fresheners tend to be on the small size, thus making them more difficult to milk. This usually improves over time. She is a beautiful little goat and gives a fair amount of milk for being so young. In fact, she was a champion Jr. Doe in the show ring, but her udder attachments where not what they needed to be after she freshened to continue as a show goat, which is why we got her! The judges might not like her udder, but she serves us just fine as a dairy goat.

Brisco also comes from champion blood lines, but we bought him without papers. We don't care much if our goats have papers because we strictly use them for dairy purposes. We purchase excellent goats at a fraction of the cost this way. For instance, Spot is a former champion who still has many years of life left in her, but is retired from the show ring. In her prime she would have been worth twice what we paid for her. The breeders where we purchase our Nigerian Dwarf Goats are very serious about what they do and they breed for excellence in the show ring, which includes being very dairy in character. If you would like to visit the web site, it is http://www.kaapioacres.com/.

There you have a little bit of background on our Nigerian Dwarfs. We currently have a total of 8 adult goats.

New Name & New Goats

2009-04-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

As supporters of the Organic Consumers Association, we have decided to make a name change. Let me explain why. The organic industry is growing rapidly as more and more people become concerned about our deteriorating food supply. There is a lot of fraud going on by companies who use the term "organic" in their names and products. This is misleading to consumers. Many, if not most, of these comapanies are NOT natural, let alone organic! To control this, the OCA is in support of more rigid regulations being placed on the use of the word "organic", especially in the realm of skin care products because it is here where the most abuse is being inflicted. I, myself, am bothered by this as well. Unfortunately, a business our size will not be able to meet most of these necessary standards. Even though we use mostly organic ingredients in our products, our farm and our goats can't be certified organic at this point. We will remain committed to using mostly organic ingredients, and always chemical free natural ingredients, but we will no longer be known as "Farmstead Organics". This change will be taking place gradually over the next couple of months. We plan on replacing products with our new name as we print new labels, hopefully with a new laser printer. You will still find us at www.farmsteadorganics.etsy.com. That web address will not change. Our new name will be also be a more complete description of who we are and what we offer...The Farmstead Apothecary.

Let us know how you like it!

We also added 3 new Nigerian Dwarfs to our herd of goats last week. A nice looking young buck will become our herd sire. His name is "Brisco Darling". Two new does, one young beauty named "Minnie Mouse" and a former champion who is past her prime for the show ring, but still a fine milker,known as "Spot". We are thrilled to have these goats join our herd! I'll try to post pictures later today.

Where have I been?

2009-04-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

If you have been trying to get in touch with me via email or Etsy conversation the past few days and have not received a response, you will get one today. First of all, let me apologize. I tried to muster the strength to work, but I was able to pull off about 3 hours on Monday before collapsing back into bed. We had a nasty virus attack our house over the weekend. It started Sunday with a severe headache that I was hoping would pass but instead my entire body decided to get involved. By Sunday night I was a fever inferno. The only ones who escaped were Ben, Gabi, Quinn and Ysabella. We are all recovering now. In fact, Savannah ran a fever of 102 for about 5 hours, slept all afternoon and woke up feeling just fine. That girl is amazing. I wish I could say the same thing about her mother. I tried, but I just couldn't shake it. Thankfully, after much prayer, my fever broke early this morning. I am still not feeling 100%, but the worst is behind me for sure. Today I will be airing out bedrooms, washing bedding, and responding to all of the people who think I must be ignoring them!
Let me assure you of this, if ever you are trying to contact me about an order and I am not responding within 24 hours, I will ALWAYS have a good reason for it! It is the down side of running a home business and not having employees to help! When something comes up, everything comes to a screeching halt whether I like it or not!

Just for fun...

2009-04-14T08:50:00.000-07:00

Here is my spoiled baby girl , Ysabella, when she was forced to share her Boppy pillow with her new baby cousin, Kai.

Kai is MY first nephew. I was the only one of my sisters with boys before. He sure is cute!

Why I Love Handmade

2009-04-14T08:09:00.000-07:00

Etsy is such an inspiration, isn't it? I mean, just look at the ingenuity of some of these crafters. For me, Etsy has been a dream come true. It has provided a way for me to be industrious within the home setting.

The more time I spend on Etsy, the more I love it. Some of these shops are nothing short of amazing. And the people that I have met...well, let me just say that I have been beyond blessed by some of them!

There is something good about purchasing handmade products and knowing that you are supporting individual people and not large corporations. I get such a thrill when I see my children playing with handmade toys or wearing handmade clothing. Better yet is when you have made the products yourself!

When I was a little girl, we wore handmade flannel nighties. Our beds were always covered with handmade quilts, tied by my great-grandmother. In fact, even now I know that my family will never freeze thanks to the dozens of quilts that my grandmothers have given to us over the years!

The picture of Ysabella with her "biddy baby" is an example of just one of the wonderful handmade toys that are available on Etsy. This little doll is the perfect size for Ysa's tiny hands. She can mouth this toy without me worrying about dangerous chemical residue or choke able parts. It is soft and cozy, and just plain adorable! The hat she is wearing was made with love by her own "Grammy"(my mother). I think that she needs to open her own Etsy shop!

Visit this fun Etsy shop at http://www.chickabiddybaby.etsy.com/

Brown Sugar & Cinnamon

2009-04-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

This soap is warm, spicy, dark and aromatic! It is perfect for men and ladies. It contains a healthy dose of organic cinnamon which is naturally antibacterial! The lastest batch has cured and is now listed in our Etsy shop. Check it out!

Isn't she adorable?

2009-04-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

Starting Over

2009-04-08T08:57:00.001-07:00

We spent 4 gardening seasons building up our soil, adding compost and deep layers of mulch, removing rocks, building potato boxes, planting perennial herbs...and then we moved leaving all of it behind. Our old farmhouse now belongs to an Amish family who will turn my "natural" looking cottage garden into a more organized plot with straight rows and zero weeds.

Now, we are in a new place and must start over again. Our house has a few flowers planted in the front of the house, but other than that is void of any gardens. We will starting from scratch once again. This time, however, we do have much nicer soil to work with. We have separated our pasture and will use the front half for our gardens. Here we will be planting some micro plots of alfalfa, red clover, and oats along with some corn, melons, cucumbers, and heirloom tomatoes. On the oppostite side of the fence we have started building raised beds and potato boxes. I've already planted some asparagus and rhubarb and a few potatoes are buried under a layer of deep mulch inside a couple of our potato boxes. We brought a trailer load of our compost from the other house and will be getting another load of compost and soil in a couple of weeks to top off our raised beds. I personally like to garden using the "deep mulch" method, which is also called "lasagna gardening". This method really supports the soil and cuts down on weeding, which I don't enjoy doing. Good lasagna gardens can take a few years.

I have the large task at hand of starting new herb gardens too. I'll use raised beds for this. The soil in the pasture is quite nice thanks to the horses who spent years fertilizing it for me so I will likely move several plants out to the larger garden once they are off to a good start in the raised beds. We've been working hard to get things ready for the upcoming growing season! We'll see how the fruits of our labors are blessed in the coming months. Of course, after several weeks of lovely weather, we have had snow again this week. That's Michigan weather for you! The forecast looks pretty good for next week...

Diaper Rash...What's That?

2009-04-03T14:25:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, but Ysabella has NEVER had even the slightest diaper rash develop in her 5 months of life. My 3 year old son, Quinn, has been out of diapers for a year and he never had a rash either. Now, all of my children before Quinn suffered at one time or another from a diaper rash. Gabriella was known to develop yeasty rashes. I always cleared them up with apple cider vinegar, but they were sore while they lasted. So, what have I done differently since then? Well, I suppose I'll have to give the credit to my Benjy's Balm for Baby Bottoms and Fresh Bottoms Herbal Spritz. Gabriella wore cloth diapers, so I can't give them the credit, although I do think that cloth are better for babies bottoms. What I love about Fresh Bottoms is that I'm able to really freshen Ysabella up when I change her diaper. I imagine that diapers are not the most comfortable thing for babies...even the organic bamboo can't feel all that great when they are wet and stinky. So, I change her often and when I do I take some extra time to air her out, spray her down, dry her off and smear some balm on her bum. In the summer I also like to use a talc-free powder that I developed from arrowroot flour, baking soda, clay and finely ground orange peel. I'll be listing it next week...Organic Orange Peel Baby Powder. I find that in the warmer months, it is nice to dust babies a bit with something to absorb the extra sweat and moisture. It not only helps keep the diaper area dry and comfortable, but it also helps with heat rash. So, be on the look out for it!

I'm also relisting our very famous Balsam & Buttermilk Goat Milk Soap, which just so happens to be perfect for washing sore and irritated little bottoms!

**If you purchase a Benjy's Balm for Baby Bottoms and a Fresh Bottoms Diaper Spritz together over the weekend, I'll include a free powder in your order! This special offer will end on Monday April 6!**

Here's some simple home remedies if your baby does happen to develop a rash and you don't have any Benjy's Balm on hand...

-plain yogurt

-apple cider vinegar (natural with the mother culture) & a dusting of baking soda for yeast rash

-diluted kefir

-raw honey (make sure it is NOT a yeast infection or the rash will spread like crazy!)

-aloe vera juice

What Makes Patchouli So Groovy?

2009-03-30T13:24:00.000-07:00

Patchouli has a strong, lingering, earthy aroma that people either love or hate. A few years ago when I first started working with essential oils, I was among the haters. Because I was familiar with the benefits of it, I continued to use it in blends even though the aroma was not one I was fond of. And then a funny thing occured...I actually began appreciating the musky aroma and even enjoyed it enough to create my own personal perfume by blending lemongrass with patchouli! Now I would list it among my favorites! You could say that it really grew on me. I still don't prefer it alone, but I adore it when blended with my all time favorite essential oil and one of my favorite herbs, lemongrass!

So, what makes patchouli so special? Well, for starters it is antiseptic, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and detoxifying. It is very relaxing and makes an excellent remedy for relieving headaches and it even lowers the body temperature making it super for bringing down a high fever. It soothes skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis. It is one of the best essential oils for dry and aging skin. Patchouli also accelerates the healing of wounds and fades scars, especially acne scars and chicken pox scars by generating the growth of new body cells. If you are trying to lose weight, bathing in patchouli salt soaks can assist you by detoxing your skin and drawing out toxins from your body which will accelerate your weight loss. And, finally, it can actually boost your immune system! Wow! Now do you see why I add patchouli to so many of our skin care products?

One of our best selling products is our Hemp & Patchouli Facial Butter Cream with Goat's Milk. This thick moisturizing cream is an excellent choice for fighting premature aging and wrinkles! It also works great for anyone, young or old, with very dry skin. I try to keep the strong patchouli smell to a minimum so that even someone who is a patchouli hater can benefit from this awesome facial moisturizer. Our newest patchouli product is the Lemongrass & Patchouli Body Elixer. This body wash is non-foaming and super moisturizing! It is for the dryest of dry skin and will leave you feeling as soft as you've ever felt! I personally love the sweet and earthy aroma. (I consider it my "signature" scent, but it is a bit too strong for a nursing mama, so these days I'm sporting lavender and sweet orange!) I'm also planning on bringing back my Lemongrass & Patchouli Goat Milk Body Butter and possibly adding the scent to a lotion for summer. I'm also bringing back our Pure Patchouli Bath Soak for those of you who want to detoxify yourself this spring or for you headache sufferers. Spring is the best time to cleanse. We will also be adding a Lemongrass & Patchouli goat milk soap soon! So, if you've never given patchouli a try, why not now? You might find yourself crossing over to a lover from a hater like I did!

Your running out of time for the giveaways! Make sure you check out all of our posts and leave your comments!

Flaunt It!

2009-03-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

Pregancy is meant to be a blessed time. But, all too often mamas can get cranky, tired, sad, and sore from carrying around such a large load. My tip for the day...Smile at a pregnant woman and tell her how pretty she looks! It will make her day! I never felt cute when I was pregnant, but I loved to hear it from my friends! They would smile and tell me how great I looked, and even though I felt like a beached whale, those words would make me feel so much brighter on the inside!

My Etsy friend, Jodi, has a great little shop where she sells the most awesome maternity shirts! I personally owned the one that says, "Does this baby make me look fat?" and I LOVED it! People always laughed and smiled at me. Even ornery grumps would get a smirk when they read my shirt! On April 3 at noon I will draw one name out of a hat. If you are that person, you'll win a Flaunt It! maternity t-shirt just like this one http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16497227

Visit Flaunt It! Maternity and look around, http://www.flauntitmaternity.etsy.com/. Come back here and leave a comment about what you see. Make sure you leave your email adress so that I can contact you if you win! Refer as many people as you can think of to this blog and get extra entries!

You still have time to enter the Joppa Minerals giveaway! The drawing is April 1 and you could win $50.00 worth of product! Visit http://www.joppaminerals.com/ and post your comment. Also, check out our Monkey Snuggles giveaway! A $20.00 gift certificate for cloth diapers and wool covers! http://www.monkeysnugglesdiaper.etsy.com/.

Tomorrow I'll be posting another giveaway from Barakel Foods! Spread the news to all your online friends!

Monkey Snuggles

2009-03-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

Ysabella wears a variety of different cloth diapers on her little bum. I go with whatever I can barter for or whatever is economical. We use everything from prefolds with wraps to fitteds with woolies! Last week I was on the lookout for some bigger sizes and some new wool covers for warmer weather. I came across Monkey Snuggles. They seemed very economically priced and the designs ranged from neutral to super cute. They stock pocket diapers and one size fitteds in organic bamboo! (Of all the diapers we have used, I find that I like the bamboo the best.) They also stock some wonderful looking wool covers in short and long styles.

I ordered one diaper to start with. It showed up in my mailbox freakishly fast! I tried it on Ysabella the next day and loved it! It really wicked the moisture away from her bottom. I then decided to order another diaper and a wool cover! Let me just say that I am not a cloth diaper nazi. I don't spend hours online shopping for them and I don't visit lots of cloth diapering forums. What I am is a busy mom who needs to save money. And I know what I like. I can tell you that these diapers are economically priced, easy to use, absorb wetness and fit well. Isn't that what a diaper should do? As a bonus, they look good!

Check out the shop at http://www.monkeysnugglesdiaper.etsy.com/ and look around. Come back here and leave a comment about what you see and you will be entered to win a $20.00 gift certificate! How cool is that? Place an order and get an extra entry! Order from us at http://www.farmsteadorganics.etsy.com/ and get another entry! Refer someone to this blog and get one more entry! Just make sure that you leave your email in the comment section. The drawing will take place on April 2 at noon!

Taking care of babies...

2009-03-12T12:44:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful for herbs, nutritious foods, and other natural and God-given ingredients when it comes to caring for my family! Take for instance this week...

I have been dealing with a sinus infection, as many of you already know. I am much better now, but still a tad bit under the weather. Compared to how I felt over the past week-end, however, I feel like running a marathon. As a nursing mother, I have to consider how what I put into my body will effect Ysabella since a good portion of it is going to get to her through my milk. As difficult as it was for me to breathe earlier this week, I could not just pop a Tylenol Cold & Sinus into my mouth and call it good. I knew that not only would it make me feel even more out of sorts, it could make her a nervous wreck...or a sleepy zombie. Instead I took raw garlic cloves and chewed on them. Yes, I know what you are thinking. But, honestly, I was so stuffed up and unable to taste anything that I barely detected that I was eating raw garlic. And if you are wondering how the baby liked garlicky milk, well studies have shown that babies actually will nurse more when mama is eating lots of garlic. Since garlic is such a powerful antibiotic, this method not only helped me out, but it also kept the baby healthy too! I also took regular doses of my beloved Flu Fighter Elixer and drank lots of peppermint tea. As far as meals, what do you think I fixed? If you guessed Chicken Soup for the Flu, then you would be right. The other treatment I prescribed myself was warm saline drops for my stuffy nose and hot baths with eucalyptus oil. Now all of this helped me out tremendously and I never once had to take anything that could have potentially harmed the baby. It makes me happy! And it keeps her happy, too!

Today it appears that Ysabella might be getting toothy. The tell-tale red cheeks that my children always get when they start teething are begining to flare up. She is gumming away at anything that she can fit in her mouth, epecially her fat little fist. So, this evening I'll be brewing up a hot infusion of chamomile tea for both of us and I'll not only drink it, but I'll soak a little wash rag in it and pop it in the freezer for her to chew on later. If it gets really bad, I might dilute a single drop of clove bud oil into a 1/4 cup of olive oil and rub this on her gums, but that is a last resort. I caution all mothers who may have heard of the clove oil remedy for teething babies to first rub the VERY diluted oil on your own gums first to test. Clove oil is extremely strong and potentially very irritating and can burn right into sensitive baby gums...or adult gums for that matter! Never use straight clove oil for any purpose! Teething can last for several weeks before that first tooth finally peeps through. In fact, some babies have teething symptoms for a month or more before showing a tooth. It helps if you are prepared to soothe them while their little bodies grow up with natural remedies rather than having to rush to the doctor's office every time somthing happens. Remember, those offices are full of germs and not exactly the place for little ones unless they are very sick themselves! Us moms have a good and strong intuition that was given to us by God Himself. Find yours, and trust it!

If you like these natural tips, visit our web site for more at http://www.fromfieldsandgardens.com/ and check out the Food for Thought page for the Chicken Soup for the Flu recipe!

Congratulations to my good friends, Casie & Phil! Casie gave birth to a gorgeous baby girl last night. This makes 2 girls and 1 boy for them! The sweet baby's name is Amaliyah, which means Work of God. She is certainly a work of the Creator!
Also, my "little sister", Karey, gave birth to a healthy and handsome baby boy two weeks ago! Her first baby! His name is Kai Elijah. (My first nephew! He is such a doll!)

I just adore babies! What a blessing they are!

New Stuff!

2009-03-09T19:05:00.000-07:00

I am feeling much better this evening and I finally got some pictures of a few new items. I had a great time photographing my new "super model"! I know mothers have a natural bias, but Ysabella has to be one of the most beautiful babies ever! (I might as well tell you that she looks just like all of her brothers and sisters!) Check out the new stuff at http://www.farmsteadorganics.etsy.com/

And when your done at my shop, you should really check out this one...www.flauntitmaternity.etsy.com

No, I am not needing any maternity shirts! But I just love Jodi's shop! Her t-shirts are so cute! I always got smiles when I was pregnant and wearing her shirts. Especially my favorite..."Does this baby make me look fat?" A pregnant mom needs all of the smiles she can get!

Notice to Etsy Customers

2009-03-08T10:57:00.000-07:00

This is the work at home mother's version of calling in sick to work...

I am sick with some kind of sinus infection. I am not responding to conversations or putting up special listings until Monday or Tuesday...depending on how I feel. I can't think straight right now and I need to stay in bed! Sorry! I just reopened too and I realize that the timing for this stinks but it hit me like a train out of nowhere. Please pray that nobody else in my family catches this from me...especially the baby! I feel TERRIBLE!
Thanks for your patience and understanding.
Jennifer

GRAND REOPENING!

2009-03-05T09:25:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, our Etsy shop has been closed for a couple of weeks while I concentrated more on moving and unpacking. Now that we are mostly settled in our new place, I've reopened the shop. I have relisted many old favorites and have lots of new stuff planned and some even ready to list...but one problem stands in my way. I lost my camera somewhere in the move. We still have not found the dumb thing and I am begining to think that it might have ended up in the garbage. I hope that is not the case! I had lots of pictures that were not downloaded, not to mention I need it to take new pictures of our new products.
Until I get some extra funds, I am without a camera and you are without the ability to see the new stuff. I can tell you what some of those new products are....
Organic Goat Milk & Herbs Shampoo and Conditioner
Organic Goat Milk Cream Body Butter in 8 ounce Jars
Lotions in 8 ounce Pump Bottles
New Skin Tonics (Lavender Rose, Neroli Chamomile, and Ysabella's Baby Fresh)
Cocoa Butter and Lanolin Soothing Balm
If you are interested in any of these and you don't need to see a picture, you can conversation me at Etsy...

As far as the move goes, we are all very happy to be in our new home. It is so cozy and comfortable! I love to rock the baby to sleep in my rocking chair pulled up to the wood stove. Yesterday my mother brought down my great-grandmother's antique bedroom set and it looks beautiful in our bedroom! (She still had her corsage from my wedding day taped to the corner of the mirror! Wow!) The big plans for her 100th birthday party are in the works for this summer. What an event that will be! I can't wait! She is amazing for being 100...you would never guess it. She is in incredible health and just moved out of her farmhouse last year to live with her daughters. My grandma is her oldest daughter (she is 81 and still bowls, golfs and fishes with my grandpa who, for his 80th birthday, did a back flip off the diving board!) and I am the oldest great-granddaughter. We have freakishly healthy genetics in my family! My daughters should all live to be quite old, Lord willing...Dave's great-grandmother was at one time the oldest woman in the WORLD before she died at 115! Yep, my girls have some serious genetics working for them. The men don't do quite as well, but my grandfather is making his own case for that at 81. Not only does he still do back flips, he rides his bike, walks the golf course, bowls, and still takes us for hay rides behind his tractor!
So, how did I get on to this subject?

Ah yes, our move...
The chickens have been having a rough time...we've lost a few to some mysterious varmint. I lost my guinea hen, Penny. (Henry is lonely.) The goats keep getting out of the new barn. But, other than that, we all like it here.

Make sure you keep your eyes peeled for our new stuff coming soon....
www.farmsteadorganics.etsy.com

Sale Update

2009-02-05T11:21:00.000-08:00

I have slashed prices on several of our goat milk soaps! This is in conjunction with our free shipping sale! I am hoping to get lots of stuff sold soon before we begin moving.

I have also marked down our Fresh Bottoms Spritz. What is this? Well, it is a handy little 4 ounce spray bottle full of an herbal blend of healing and cleaning goodness. I blended organic oils, aloe juice, witch hazel and a gentle sulfate-free cleanser to create this all natural alternative to baby wipes. I keep a bottle in my diaper bag to clean up dirty hands and faces, as well. Ysabella has never had even a hint of diaper rash and I give the credit to Fresh Bottoms...and Benjy's Balm for Baby Bottoms. Together they have kept her bum clean, fresh, and moisturized. If you haven't tried some yet, I encourage you to get a bottle now while you can save some money!

One more thing...while I was visiting Joppa a few weeks ago I grabbed this little lip balm holder/key ring. I really love this fun little item. It is so convenient to always have a lip balm handy and I also appreciate the stylish look. We all need something to carry our keys on, right? Why not make a fashion statement while we're at it? So, anyway...the sweet lady who makes these cool lip balm cozies happens to work for my sister at Joppa and is now listing some of her creations on Etsy. She also makes some fun doggy toys and treats. Here is a link to my favorite item...http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20606550
Make sure you check it out!

http://www.farmsteadorganics.etsy.com/

Quinn Jonathan...our adorable little guy

2009-02-04T17:30:00.000-08:00

Quinn is three. He is the sweetest little guy and everybody who meets him falls in love! He has the biggest chocolate brown eyes ever and when you look into them, you melt. He loves to sing and play drums with my wooden spoons and pans. Ever since he was a baby he has enjoyed looking at picture books of animals. He will sit quietly for the longest time just flipping through the pages of Hobby Farm magazine or the "Little Golden Books" about farm animals. He is afraid of television. When the other kids decide to put in a dvd, Quinn hits the road. He enjoys playing with his matchbox cars and his minature barn and farm animal toys. He also likes to draw and color. His favorite playtime craft, though, is modeling clay. He will play for hours with clay! He can create some pretty interesting little people. Quinn adores his new baby sister. He calls her "Little Cupcake" and kisses her fingers and toes. His favorite food is bread & sorghum. Odd? A bit. He would eat nothing but bread & sorghum sandwiches if he could. What else can I tell you about Quinn? He is such a fun kid! We enjoy him so much and each day as he matures a bit more, I close my eyes and drink him in. They grow up too fast!

Meet Nicholas

2009-02-04T17:01:00.000-08:00

Nicholas is eight years old. He is the reason behind our goat farm and my health and nutrition hobby. When he was weaned from breastmilk, I realized that we were going to have a problem. It seemed that he was allergic to milk, among other foods. So, to make a long story short I began studying health, foods, nutrition and herbs...and we got dairy goats! Nicholas has been a picture of good health ever since...almost. He is very good about watching what he eats when he is not at home. This kid is a bundle of energy. He loves to be outdoors and is a great help when it comes to chores. In fact, he actually enjoys hard work. He loves animals, especially dogs and ducks, and has thought about becoming a vet someday. He also has plans to be a duck farmer. He wants to market feather beds, pillows and other bedding made with organic duck feathers. For his birthday last year he was given two ducklings. He named them Drake and Jemima Puddleduck. He later changed Jemima's name to Jake Puddleduck when Jemima failed to lay eggs for him. He'll try again this year. He also likes to play soccer. His favorite color is yellow and his favorite food is lasagna. He enjoys watching old western t.v. shows like The Lone Ranger and The Rifleman. He is also a huge fan of The Andy Griffith Show. He likes to read from the Pathway Readers, which are stories about Amish families. When we first moved out here he thought he would like to be Amish. So, our neighbor gave him a straw hat. Well, when a storm took our power out for a couple of days he quickly changed his mind about being Amish. He has since decided that he does want to live on a farm all his life, but with electricity and indoor plumbing! Nicholas is a very talented artist, as well. The children began taking piano lessons this year and they are enjoying them very much but Nicholas would also like to learn to play the banjo. (His dog is named Banjo.) We'll see.

Introducing "The Boys"

2009-02-04T15:58:00.000-08:00

Earlier in this blog I introduced my daughters, Savannah and Gabriella. I have failed to properly introduce my boys, however.

Let me start with Benjamin...

Ben is nine years old and my oldest son. He likes to remind us often that when Dad is not at home, he is the man of the house! It was because of Ben that I created my first handmade skin care product. He suffered from terrible chapped, dry and cracked lips. He also suffered from mild eczema. So, I made him a balm. We called it Benjy's Balm. I'll never forget it...I made him the balm one evening and we slathered it on his sore lips. The next morning he came running downstairs yelling for me, "Mom! Mom! It works! The Benjy's Balm healed my lips!" The rest is history!

Ben likes to make stuff. He will likely be a wood craftsman when he grows up. He also loves to draw and is quite good. Ben's favorite subject in school is science and nature study. He is fascinated with creatures and creation and reads his science text like it is a juicy novel. He also enjoys reading true stories about history. Ben's favorite color is orange and his favorite food is couscous followed by lasagna. He likes to play soccer too. What else? Well, he likes to watch episodes of The Andy Griffith Show and The Lone Ranger. When Ben was a little guy, I called him "Tenderheart" because he was so sweet. He still gives me butterfly kisses sometimes before bed.

Moving Sale!

2009-02-02T14:33:00.000-08:00

Our family is moving in a couple of weeks. Our new place is about 10 miles away from where we are now...not too far, but more convenient for us. Our goats will have a bigger barn and a nicer pasture. I will have a roomy and comfortable workshop! Yippee!
Visit our shop now and take advantage of FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $40.00 shipped within the United States. Shipping costs will be refunded via paypal. Sale ends Friday the 6th.

http://www.farmsteadorganics.etsy.com/

In Memory of Ringo

2009-01-30T11:26:00.000-08:00

Ringo

March 1998-January 2009

I can't forget Gabi!

2009-01-25T14:10:00.001-08:00

Baby Ysa

2009-01-25T13:51:00.000-08:00

Many have asked for updated pictures of our beautiful baby girl. I have also included a picture of my three boys, Ben, Nicholas, and Quinn. I don't want them to feel left out!

Goat Milk Soap in Sheep's Clothing

2009-01-25T12:39:00.000-08:00

Catching Up!

2009-01-25T11:36:00.000-08:00

Busy, busy, busy... (Children, children, children...)
That is my excuse for not keeping up with this blog. I truly do have good intentions for it. We'll see if I can manage it a bit better in the coming months.

So, what have we been up to lately? Well, as most of you know, Ysabella was ill last week with RSV and spent a few days in the hospital. I (Jennifer) never left her room. We even shared a bed. Thankfully she is home now and is as good as new. Looking at her adorable face, you would never guess that she was sick at all. Homeschooling keeps us very busy during this time of year, as well.

In the midst of our busy schedule, we have found the time to create some wonderful new products! A few of our new soap creations are currently listed in our Etsy shop, including Calming Chamomile. What I love about this soap is the soothing aroma. It is a blend of chamomile, neroli and lavender essential oils. This soap is also full of real ground chamomile buds as well as ground oatstraw. Since my daily shower is the only quiet time I get most days, I appreciate a soothing aroma to relax me. This soap offers that.
I think my favorite new soap would have to be our Lanolin and Cocoa Butter. This soap lathers like silk! It is wonderful for babies. In fact, I am so thrilled with this simple little soap that I am planning on doing an entire line of lanolin and cocoa butter products just for little ones. The current batch was hand-cut into somewhat smaller bars than my usual soaps. We used a different mold when it was poured. In the future I think we will go back to our loaf molds. Lanolin is such a unique ingredient. A very small percentage of people may find that they are sensitive to it, but this will be very few. For most people, lanolin will be a soothing skin softener and healing agent. Combining lanolin with cocoa butter only enhances these qualities. This soap is unscented. For fun, we have also felted several of these bars in 100% sheep's wool. This makes for a true sheep & goat blend! Now, I finally have a good reason to add a few sheep to our hobby farm!
Speaking of our felted soaps, you really need to check these out! The felted wool sweater will shrink down as the soap is used up. When the last tiny bit of soap is finally gone, you will be left with a cute little bath scrubby. The wool makes a perfect exfoliating bath cloth and really increases the amount of lather you get. The increase in lather makes these awesome shaving bars! So far we have felted our Milk & Honey bars, Lanolin & Cocoa Butter, and a round bar in Lavender. Each Goat Milk Soap in Sheep's Clothing is unique. The children have a blast doing this themselves, so your soaps are truly personal handmade creations by the Ferris kids. This also means that they are not perfect, but that is what gives them such charm! Even 3 year old, Quinn, gets in on the fun. It is quite humorous to watch him squeeze the soaps with all of his might!

Big Girl & Little Sis

2008-12-10T14:03:00.000-08:00

Now known as "Matilda" and "Lady". Trixy's pups are now living in their new home.

Babymoon Update

2008-11-10T16:56:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that it was one week ago already that baby Ysabella made her entrance into the world! Wow! Mom and baby have spent the week relaxing and recovering, seldom leaving the comfort of the king sized feather bed where Ysabella was born. After having six children, you learn all too well just how fast these precious days pass by. We want to savor every moment! We are in no hurry to rush back to the busyness of life. Jennifer will be taking one more week to rest with the baby and then gradually begin getting back to work around here.

We are still listing soaps and other items on the Etsy shop. We will not be listing anything new for another few weeks. We also would like to remind you of our handmade Amish dolls that we have available to ship out in several different colored dresses and aprons, (brown & pink gingham check, teal & white, black & white gingham check...). These dolls are already made and can be shipped out within 24 hours of ordering.

Ysabella is getting some amazing baby spa treatments, as you can imagine! We can't wait to make some of these new products available to all of you! She smells like a sweet red rose! She enjoys a massage every morning with an organic shea butter based balm and is spritzed with organic rose water. Her bottom is also washed with rose water and slathered with calendula balm (Benjy's Balm for Baby Bottoms) to prevent a rash from developing on her delicate skin during this time of frequent b.m's. Her hair was washed with a gentle goat milk based soap (Rosie Oats) and rinsed with herbal water. In between washings it is also spritzed with rose water. (A baby's hair should only be washed as needed when it becomes too oily.) Mom enjoys an herbal bath each day. This bath consists of sea salt, frankinscence, myrrh, hyssop, and lavender essential oil. The first two days postpartum a special blend of herbs were added to the bath, including calendula, uva ursi, chamomile and echinacea. Ysabella joined mom in the bath after the first two days. The sea salt was very healing to both. Babies can join mom in the tub immediately following the birth but we did not want Ysabella to become chilled in our somewhat chilly bathroom. Yes, she is pampered! And what fun it is! She will be an inspiration for so many new ideas!

She makes her arrival...

2008-11-04T14:10:00.000-08:00

Ysabella Mercy Ferris was born November 4, 2008 at 1:55 a.m.! She weighed in at 8 lbs 2 oz. and was 21 in. long.

The birth was beautiful and mother and baby are resting comfortably! Our entire family is beyond blessed!

Update

2008-10-31T12:31:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a frustrating time for me this past week. I am due now to deliver this baby any day and patience has never been one of my better character traits. Frankly, I simply don't enjoy not being able to move around swiftly. That is the hardest thing for me to accept during pregnancy. I want to be able to continue along with my tasks and not feel as if I physically can't accomplish something.
Well, things went from being uncomfortable to just plain painful earlier this week when I sliced my right hand on a broken mason jar. Of course, it had to be my right hand/ forefinger which has eliminated even more household and business oriented tasks for me! No dishes, for instance. While that might sound lovely at first, when you are forced to watch the dishes pile up throughout the day it can be beyond irritating. It also seems that when I am bustling around myself, my little helpers are much more eager to assist. It almost appears that they have injured themselves as well.
Last evening I went to the hair salon to have my hair washed for me. It bothered me to spend $6.00 to have someone wash my hair, but I could not tolerate it any longer. Thankfully, I should be able to pull on a rubber glove tomorrow and resume some of my tasks, like dishes and hair washing.
In the mean time, we have relisted several soaps that are already wrapped and labeled. Our shipping schedule will be much more efficient again, even with the birth of the baby expected. We were prepared for a birth, not an unfortunate accident! (Life!) My hand is on the mend and I would expect that by Monday, it will be nearly pain-free. In fact, given the fact that I do not use pain medication, it has been quite tolerable.

We hope that if anyone had to wait on a package this week that you will forgive us!
Thanks!

Quiet Time

2008-10-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

My midwife took some wonderful pictures of our family this past weekend as a gift to us. She really captured the essence of my relationship with my children. She has lots of information on her own website for any moms out there expecting...www.birthgreeter.com.

My "sisters" gave me a beautiful Celebration of Motherhood this weekend, as well. It was a tremendous blessing to me. (Only one of the ladies is actually a sister by "blood".) We had the most perfect time of encouraging one another, laughing, crying, and eating! Girlfriends are the BEST! I hope they love me for more than just my soap...

The time is near...

2008-10-15T14:11:00.000-07:00

As the birth of our baby nears, we have decided that we will close shop or at least drastically reduce our listings for 2-3 weeks. This will take place immediately following the birth and possibly a few days before, depending on how I feel. At this time we are still processing orders as they come in and making a few batches of soap here and there, but SLOW is the theme lately. Savannah is filling many of the orders herself, so please by patient and understanding if you happen to get the wrong bar of soap or something. Simply let us know and we will fix it as soon as you alert us to the problem.

We will get back into the swing of things near the middle to end of November, but not back up to full speed until early December. Keep this in mind if you would like to place any substantial orders that now would be the time. You still have 2 weeks before we potentially shut down for our "babymoon".

Chamomile Soaps

2008-10-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

Chamomile Soaps

2008-10-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

Last week my daughter, Savannah, turned 11 and today my son, Quinn, turns 3! We have been just plain busy around here. On top of that, I will also admit that I am feeling rather tired and very pregnant. So, that is my excuse for not keeping up on this new blog that I started last month with such great intentions! Please forgive me! I promise that it will be far more exciting to read in 2009!

I am researching and coming up with lots of new product ideas that we will launch after the first of the year and we are testing out some new soap recipes too.

-My current favorite soap is Calming Chamomile.

It is available in the family pack of soaps for children and babies. I don't know why I have developed such a fancy for it lately, but I could stand in the shower for hours enveloped in it's lather. Maybe it is the gentle nature of it that appeals to me in this late stage of my pregnancy? It contains a healthy serving of our creamy goat's milk and an abundance of aromatic ground chamomile buds, with just a touch of added chamomile and sweet orange essential oils. I also added some chamomile tincture for the healing benefits. It has a beautiful lather and the scent of chamomile is so relaxing!

I also just listed a Chamomile Cinnamon & Oats bar. This bar contains the soothing benefits of chamomile and oats with the added spiciness of cinnamon! Cinnamon is also a fantastic antibacterial ingredient which makes this the perfect bar of soap to use this fall when the common cold begins to make it's return to our households. This bar has the bonus of being more unisex in it's scent too.

Introducing our Apron Models...

2008-09-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

Savannah is our oldest child. She will be eleven years old in 2 weeks! As most oldest children are, she is very mature and motherly. If you asked her siblings, they would describe her as controlling and overbearing. Nonetheless, without her our household would not run quite as smoothly and her siblings are very aware of that fact. So, she gets her respect. Hey, they appreciate her delicious cookies and pancakes just as much as I do! As an oldest child myself, watching Savannah is sometimes like looking into a mirror. She is quick to give advice to the younger children, such as recently when she informed Gabi that it would be much wiser to spend money on baby chicks or guinea hens than to spend it on a Barbie doll. Why? Because chickens will last longer and you get something in return for your purchase...eggs. Savannah loves to read, and I honestly can't overemphasize that. The girl probably reads between 75 and 100 books each year. She prefers historical fiction. Some of her favorites have been Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates, The Little House series by Laura Wilder, and anything by Marguerite Henry. She adores horses and has taken lessons. She enjoys drawing, writing, dancing, sewing and is learning to knit and crochet. She is also quite an accomplished cook for a girl her age!

*Savannah would like me to add that her favorite soap/lotion scent is Raspberry Vanilla.

Introducing our Apron Models...

2008-09-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

Gabriella (aka Gabi) is our five year old daughter. She loves to read books...or rather have books read to her. Her favorites are the Francis books by Russel Hoban. Her preferred hangout is the chicken coop where she likes to watch and see which chickens lay what eggs. She can pretty much tell now by the color and shape who laid what. Quite a talent... She is also the sole owner of Trixy, our midget Shetland Sheepdog. They bonded when Trixy was just a puppy and Gabi is basically the only one in the household who Trixy obeys. That does not make Trixy very popular with the rest of us, however. Gabi enjoys playing with her dolls, coloring and chalk drawing, and playing with modeling clay. Her favorite food is fried eggs. She prefers the taste of the eggs laid by her own "Little Buffy" and "Sunflower", both are beautiful golden colored Buff Orpingtons that she raised from chickhood.

Jumping Juniper Berries!

2008-09-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

If you are not familiar yet with Juniper, you'll want to learn a bit about this magnificent herb for sure! It is actually not a berry, but is derived from conifer trees...sort of like tiny, round pine cones. They are used to flavor norther European cuisine and they are also what gives gin it's unique flavor, as well. Juniper berries are also known to have medicinal qualities. Herbalists often use juniper as a diuretic.
So, why would we want to add this to our soaps? I am always on the look out for herbal healing ingredients that will naturally relieve common skin conditions and after researching it a bit, juniper seemed an obvious choice to add to our line of skin care. I'll be honest, as an herbalist this was actually an herb that I was relatively unfamiliar with and while it may have benefit as a diuretic, I prefer to work with other herbs. I had not considered the amazing beneficial treatments that are associated primarily with the essential oil of juniper berry rather than the whole herb itself. These benefits include the treatment of acne, dermatitis, psoriasis, and weeping eczema. Wow! The aroma of juniper oil is quite pleasant too! It has a refreshing, clean and slightly woody scent. It is a bit medicinal, but not in an overpowering way. It blends well with other oils, such as lavender, camphor, tea tree...
To introduce juniper to our line of herbal healing skin care products, I first wanted to work on adding it to a simple soap. I decided that our cold processed method might not allow enough of the oil to work it's wonders...so, instead I added it to our gentle pourable base. I was very pleased with the result! But, what could I add to it to enhance it further? After much thought and experimenting, I settled on organic rose hips that had been ground into a powder. Perfect! This final touch gives a speckled look to the soap itself while adding additional antioxidant healing qualities. The aroma is still 100% juniper, whether that is good or bad we'll leave up to you to decide. I will certainly be creating additional blends with juniper in the near future so if you are not crazy about the scent, keep your eyes peeled for a different spin on it.
I am also working on a juniper healing balm to be added very soon!
If you are interested in the juniper soap, the first batch of test bars is being included in our family pack of healing soaps now. By the end of this week, we will be adding it as an individual bar! We hope you will give us your feedback!

We've also added a few fun autumn aromas to our family packs! Check this one out...
-Apple Harvest (with real maple syrup & apple cider, spices, balsam essential oil and a small amount of deliciously scented phathalate free fragrance oil) This one is yummy!
My daughters and my husband really wanted an apple variety added to our seasonal line, so this is the result. Without patting myself on the back too much, I think I came up with a pretty good one here. If you are a fan of apples, you'll be sure to like this.

Hope you had a restful weekend! Our family's plans to head over with a bunch of friends from church to an old-fashioned little country festival got rained out today. Bummer! On the other hand, we really need this rain in a bad way. So, we're catching up on some "around the house" work today and even sorting through some baby stuff...only 6 weeks remaining!

~Jennifer

Welcome to our blog!

2008-09-11T17:48:00.000-07:00

We have set up this blog specifically for our wonderful Etsy customers! We'll post special sales, highlight products, and let you get to know us a little bit better too!

One of the most important aspects of running a small home-based business is that of getting to know your customers on a personal level. We want to really know who it is that we are selling to. How else can we improve our business? How else will we know what is working and what isn't? Please feel free to leave us comments, give us ideas for new products and be yourselves with us! We really do want to feel like we know you all! It is a bit difficult to build relationships over the computer...and that is why we want to utilize this blog. It would be great if each and every one of you could stop in to our shop in person and chit-chat a bit while you sniff some soaps, pet the dogs, feed the goats a snack, converse with our children...but, since that is not possible we thought we would try to come up with something that would fill in that gap. We hope it works!

What can you expect to find here? Well, we want to introduce you to each of our products individually. We also want you to become as passionate as we are about avoiding chemicals in your personal care and cleaning products! Occasionally we'll post some family pictures so that you feel like you know us.

Thanks for your business!
Blessings,
The Ferris Family