DIY Essential Oil Rollerballs for Fall & Winter
Essential oils are one of my favourite natural remedies to keep on hand at all times, hands down.
As far as remedies go, there’s an oil for just about everything that ails you. From headaches and hangovers to stress and anxiety to colds and flu to muscle pain and tummy aches and everything in between. Not to mention, they smell amazing and they’re also the number one weapon in my arsenal when it comes to creating a natural home.
I use essential oils in my homemade cleaners, bath and body products, candles, room sprays and even on my pillow at night. And I LOVE diffusing them to make my home smell amazing without using harmful synthetic fragrances.
But one of my favourite ways to use them as a home remedy is in the form of essential oil rollerballs.
Basically this is a small rollerball tube that contains essential oils diluted with a carrier oil so it’s ready to be applied directly to your skin when you need it. It’s absolutely essential (no pun intended) that you dilute essential oils before applying them directly to skin. Essential oils that are applied “neat” can irritate skin, cause rashes and even lead to permanent sensitization and allergies.
So when you want to apply essential oils directly to your skin, you need to mix them with a carrier oil first to dilute them and make them safe for topical use.
Using a rollerball makes this process quick and easy because your oils are pre-mixed and diluted. This means you don’t need to waste time measuring out your oils when you’re in need of a quick application.
Just roll the rollerball over the affected area and and you’re done!
You can also tailor your rollerballs for specific uses and applications by blending a mixture of essential oils that work together to support healing. You can also choose the carrier oil that you like best as the base for this “magic potion,” and dilute KidSafe oils even more so they’re ready to use on young, sensitive skin when your children are in need of some comfort or healing.
Related: Essential Oil Rollerballs for Spring & Summer
Diluting Essential Oils
First of all, we need to talk a little more about dilution. This step is really important, so please don’t ignore it or skip over it.
Okay, so how do you dilute essential oils, exactly?
Glad you asked:)
As a general rule, for adults you should be aiming for a 5% dilution. (Don’t worry, I’ll tell you how to do this in just a sec.) This is suitable for occasional or short-term use.
*** If you’re wanting a blend for chronic, daily application, you might need to dilute it a little bit more. If you have a specific problem you’re looking to heal, please consult your doctor or naturopath first and talk to them about incorporating essential oils into your healthcare regimen. ***
If you’re just looking for a general treatment or want to fill your medicine cabinet with natural, homemade herbal remedies for life’s everyday ups, down, bumps, bruises, coughs and colds then a 5% dilution is pretty much the standard for adults.
For kids ages 2 to 15, the safest dilution is around 1%. Babies under 2 need even more dilution at just 0.1% – 0.5% max, and essential oils are not recommended for use on premature babies.
For the purposes of this post, we’ll be focusing on general use rollerballs for adults and children aged 2-15. But if you’d like a more detailed look at dilution recommendations you can check out the chart below.
Source: Plant Therapy
How to Dilute Essential Oils
To dilute essential oils, you must mix them with a carrier oil. Essential oils are soluble in oil, meaning they will disperse easily and dilute effectively. They don’t mix well in water, so it’s always recommended that you dilute them in oil first for all topical applications.
When it comes to rollerballs, all you need to do is add the recommended amount of essential oils to your bottle and then top with a carrier oil of your choice. Then shake it up and it’s ready to use!
What Are Carrier Oils?
Carrier oils are just fatty oils that you can use to dilute your essential oils. Pretty much any fatty oil can be used as a carrier oil, so think coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, hempseed oil, etc.
So which carrier oil should you choose?
One of the most popular carrier oils is definitely coconut oil. But as you probably know, regular coconut oil that you buy from the grocery store is solid at room temperature. This doesn’t exactly make for a good carrier oil in your rollerball since it needs to be in liquid form at all times. So the popular choice is to use fractionated coconut oil, which undergoes a heating process that converts it to a liquid oil at room temperature or colder.
I’ve been using hemp seed oil the most simply because that’s currently what I have on my shelf. I find it really nourishing on skin and I like using it as a massage oil on my husband with the pain relief blend of essential oils listed in the recipes below.
Each carrier oil has its own special properties just like essential oils. The chart below gives an overview of the most popular carrier oils.
Source: Plant Therapy
What are KidSafe essential oils?
Not all essential oils are safe for use on children, so you should be careful about which essential oils you blend together in rollerballs intended for use on kids.
Luckily, the brand of oils that I use and recommend has an entire line of KidSafe essential oils that are clearly labelled, so it’s easy to know which ones are safe for kids and which are not. (This is just one of many reasons why I genuinely love essential oils from Plant Therapy).
Remember you still need to dilute oils to 1% if using on children, even if they are “KidSafe.” I’ve included some specific KidSafe blends in the recipes below to take the guesswork out of blending and creating your rollerballs.
How To Make Essential Oil Rollerballs
Alright, now that you know the basics, it’s time to get blending and make some rollerballs!
These are an excellent addition to your own home medicine cabinet and also make awesome gifts and stocking stuffers at Christmas. I recommend purchasing a pack of rollerballs and making a variety of different blends to keep and to give away.
You can purchase rollerball bottles here.
I’ve chosen rollerball recipes that are tailored to illnesses and ailments that abound during the fall and winter months since we’re currently heading into Christmas and winter soon. But these can absolutely be used all year round.
You can also check out these rollerball recipes for spring and summer, including rollerballs for spring allergy relief, cuts and scrapes, bug bites, bumps and bruises. For now we’ll focus on healing what ails us during the fall, winter and holiday season.
Alright, gather your rollerball tubes, essential oils and carrier oil(s) of choice and let’s get blending:)
Rollerball Recipes for Fall & Winter
Disclaimer and safety notes:
Please note that all of these recipes are intended for standard 10ml rollerballs.
Add the essential oils listed in the recipe you’ve chosen from the list below and top with carrier oil. Shake well to blend before applying.
Also note that any rollerballs that contain lemon should not be applied to skin that will be exposed to direct sunlight as this can cause a phytotoxic reaction that can result in something similar to a sunburn.
Pregnant women should not use essential oils without first checking with their midwife or physician.
* All KidSafe blends listed below are intended for use on children over 2 years old. All essential oils listed in the KidSafe blends below are labelled KidSafe by Plant Therapy and diluted to 1%. *
As always, it is my legal responsibility to remind you that I am not a doctor and am simply sharing the essential oil blends that we use in our house and that I have researched thoroughly and understand to be safe. It is always recommended to consult your doctor, naturopath or certified health care practitioner before incorporating essential oils into your regular healthcare routine.
Rollerballs for stress and anxiety
This time of year can be stressful. Whether we’re running around like headless chickens trying to get it all done or visiting Santa Claus for the first time, there’s a fair amount of anxiety involved in the otherwise festive holiday season. Here are some rollerball recipes to calm the nerves and inspire deep breaths in kids and adults alike.
Relaxing Blend
- 5 drops lavender
- 5 drops sweet orange
- 5 drops vetiver
* KidSafe Relaxing Blend *
- 1 drop lavender
- 1 drop sweet orange
- 1 drop vetiver
Calming Blend
- 5 drops lavender
- 5 drops bergamot
- 5 drops chamomile
* KidSafe Calming Blend *
- 1 drop lavender
- 1 drop bergamot
- 1 drop chamomile
* Apply stress and anxiety blends to the neck, shoulders, wrists and and/or behind ears.
Rollerballs for Headaches & Hangovers
The holidays are synonymous with headaches and hangovers that result from stress and from having a little too much fun eating, drinking and making merry. Here are some rollerballs to ease a throbbing head and a queasy stomach.
Tension Relief Blend
- 5 drops lavender
- 5 drops peppermint
- 5 drops chamomile
* KidSafe Tension Relief Blend *
- 1 drop lavender
- 1 drop palmarosa
- 1 drop chamomile
Hangover Blend (Adults only!!)
- 5 drops peppermint
- 5 drops orange sweet
- 5 drops lemon
* Apply headache and hangover blends to the neck, shoulders, wrists and/or behind ears.
Rollerballs to Calm Upset Stomachs
Eat too many sugar cookies? Having trouble digesting turkey dinner? Reach for thee rollerballs to help calm tummy aches for kids and adults alike!
Tummy Ache Blend
- 5 drops lavender
- 5 drops peppermint
- 5 drops ginger
* KidSafe Tummy Ache Blend *
- 1 drop lavender
- 1 drop chamomile
- 1 drop spearmint
* Apply tummy ache blends to the belly; Roll on and massage in a clockwise motion. Or roll on the wrists and smell wrists to help calm stomach.
Rollerballs for Cold & Flu
It doesn’t need to be said that fall and winter is the worst time of year for cold and flu symptoms. Whether you’re trying to fight through the pain and keep up with your to-do list or laid up in bed looking for relief, there’s a rollerball recipe for you! Here are a few to get you started…
Breathe Easy Blend
- 5 drops eucalyptus
- 5 drops rosemary
- 5 drops tea tree
* KidSafe Breathe Easy Blend *
- 1 drop fir needle
- 1 drop cedarwood
- 1 drop frankincense
Immunity Blend
- 5 drops lemon
- 5 drops rosemary
- 5 drops clove
* KidSafe Immunity Blend *
- 1 drop lemon
- 1 drop frankincense
- 1 drop palmarosa
* Apply cold and flu blends to chest, neck, behind ears and on wrists.
Rollerballs for Skin Irritations
Dry, cracked skin is an unfortunate side effect of the colder winter months. Here’s how to soothe it with custom essential oil rollerball blends.
Skin Soother Blend
- 5 drops lavender
- 5 drops frankincense
- 5 drops palmarosa
* KidSafe Skin Soother Blend *
- 1 drop lavender
- 1 drop frankincense
- 1 drop palmarosa
Intensive Cracked Skin Antiseptic Blend
- 5 drops tea tree
- 5 drops rosemary
- 5 drops frankincense
* Apply skin soothing blends to the affected area.
Rollerballs for Muscle and Joint Pain
The cold chills of fall and winter can stiffen up our muscles and joints and turn simple tasks and fun-filled family days into painful experiences. If you’re in need of some pain relief, here are some simple homemade rollerball blends to help.
Pain Relief Blend
- 5 drops peppermint
- 5 drops black pepper
- 5 drops helichrysum
* KidSafe Pain Relief Blend *
- 1 drop lavender
- 1 drop spearmint
- 1 drop fir needle
* Apply pain relief blends to the affected area.
Rollerballs for Mental Clarity and Boosting Mood
The winter blues are a real thing. As the days get shorter, darker and greyer, sometimes we need a little extra support to help boost our mood during the dark fall and winter months. Here are some rollerballs that offer a little light in the darkness.
Focus Blend
- 5 drops lemon
- 5 drops rosemary
- 5 drops peppermint
* KidSafe Focus Blend *
- 1 drop lavender
- 1 drop grapefruit
- 1 drop cedarwood
Mood Boosting “Sunshine” Blend
- 5 drops sweet orange
- 5 drops bergamot
- 5 drops lime
* KidSafe Mood Boosting “Sunshine” Blend *
- 1 drop sweet orange
- 1 drop bergamot
- 1 drop steam distilled lime
* Apply mental clarity and mood boosting blends to neck, shoulders, wrists and/or behind ears. These blends are also highly effective when diffused.
If you’re looking to build your oil collection, you can check out Plant Therapy’s extensive list of essential oils here.
Or click here for KidSafe oils.
Labelling Your Rollerballs
You’ll want to label each rollerball you make as you go so you don’t get them mixed up.
DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF LABELLING!
Trust me, it’s really easy to get your rollerballs mixed up if you don’t label them right away, so put a label on it!
To help you out, I’ve created a rollerball free recipe guide complete with printable labels that can be found under the “Home Pharmacy” section of my Free Resource Library.
You can either print the labels out on regular printer paper and paste them onto your bottles or they fit perfectly on these sticky labels if you’d rather not have to manually glue them on. These are the same labels we use on our bottles at home.
So have fun and get cracking on some essential oil rollerballs this fall and winter season. When seasonal illnesses and ailments strike, you’ll be glad to have ’em on hand:)
For more in-depth general info. about using essential oils, check out this post on Everything You Need to Know to Get Started With Essential Oils.
Wishing you homemade, homegrown, homestead happiness 🙂
CATEGORIES
1 Comment
Submit a Comment
ABOUT ANNA
You Might Also Like
Homemade Yogurt (Plain & Greek Style)
* This article contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my Affiliate Disclosure. I’ve known that homemade yogurt was “a thing” for a long time. I always considered making it myself, but it was never really at the top of my list of skills to...
How to Grow More Food In Less Space
* This article contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my Affiliate Disclosure. One of the biggest problems that every homesteader runs into sooner or later is the issue of wanting to grow more food than their garden space allows for....
🥔 Potatoes, po-tah-toes...
However you say it, potatoes are one of the best crops to grow in your garden if you’re going for maximum food production.
Back during wartime when people were encouraged to grow their own food at home and the concept of Victory Gardens was born, potatoes were a staple crop in most vegetable gardens, and for good reason...
Potatoes have been a staple “survival crop” for millennia. They’re calorie-dense, carbohydrate-rich and high in essential nutrients like fibre, potassium, magnesium and vitamin C. They’re also easy to grow and can be grown in the ground, in raised beds, containers, grow bags… even garbage cans.
Potatoes will give you more calories per square foot than just about any other crop. They also store well in cold storage and are extremely versatile and can be turned into everything from hash browns and French fries to mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, gnocchi, potato pies, pancakes and perogies!
They’re truly a must-have in any victory garden. But they’re just ONE of the best crops to grow in a Victory Garden (aka. a garden with the main goal being food production).
I’ll teach you about all the others and much more in my video presentation on the 10 Best Crops for Your Victory Garden, airing today as part of the FREE Backyard Vegetable Gardener’s Summit!
My video goes live today at 2:30pm PST. It will be available to watch for free for 24 hours after it airs (or you can grab the all-access pass to watch any time).
I’ll also be live in the chat box to answer any questions you might have when the video goes live this afternoon!
If you haven’t got your FREE TICKET yet, head over and click the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/backyardvegsummit to register and watch for free!
.
.
.
#gardenersofinstagram #organicgardening #homegrown #victorygarden #vegetablegarden #vegetablegardening
I'm trying to take a more proactive approach to food preservation this year. In the spring, when everything is small and new, it's easy to think you've got loads of time to worry about preserving. But summer comes quickly, and before you know it you've got baskets full of food all over your kitchen that needs to be preserved all at once.
This year I'm trying to preserve food as it comes on, which means I've already started preserving herbs from our spring garden!
Spring is actually an ideal time to preserve herbs and leafy greens because they're fresh and new and in their prime. While I love drying herbs for use later on, there are some herbs that just don’t dry well (chives are one such herb, and they’re abundant right now). Plus I like to preserve herbs in a variety of different ways to enjoy all year long.
One of my favourite ways to preserve fresh herbs is by making herb butter (aka. compound butter).
I chop up fresh herbs like chives, parsley, mint, rosemary and even garlic and then mix them together with softened butter. Then I usually reserve some to use right away and I freeze the rest to use later. And ya know what? We’re still eating herb butter from our freezer that I made last year!
If you’ve got herbs growing in your garden now and/or you want to make sure you’re on top of your preserving game right from the get go, this is definitely a “recipe” you want to have in your arsenal.
Link in bio @thehouseandhomestead or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/homemade-herb-butter/ to get my recipes and full instructions!
.
.
.
#herbs #homemade #fromscratch #homesteadkitchen #homemadeisbetter
I’ve been keeping a secret...
For the past couple months, I've been working hard "behind the scenes" to put together a super secret special edition issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine in collaboration with a bunch of other ambitious female homesteaders who aren't just living out their homestead dreams, but who have actually found a way to earn an income –and in some cases, a very good living!– through homesteading.
Because at the end of the day, it's all well and good to grow your own food and DIY as much as possible with the resources you've already got, but we all still need money for everything else, amiright?
In this limited release special edition issue, we cover 50+ different ways that YOU can start earning an income from homesteading and doing what you love right now, no matter where you live (lest you think you need 10 acres and a barn... Because you don't!)
Homesteaders from ALL walks of life with a wide range of talents and business models have helped me to create this issue by sharing their own personal stories detailing how they actually managed to turn homesteading into a source (or even multiple sources) of income.
From selling eggs and fresh produce right out of their gardens, to crafting homemade products to sell at craft markets or online, to renting out space on their properties or hosting workshops on site, to starting a profitable blog or writing books or teaching others how to get started homesteading too, the success stories shared in this issue are nothing short of inspiring (to say the least!), and I'm so excited to FINALLY be able to share this issue with you!
You can get this limited release special edition right now when you become a member for just $7.99/year (you also get unlimited access to all current and past issues!) OR when you purchase the 2021 Gardening & Sustainable Living Bundle from Ultimate Bundles.
The bundle includes a FREE one-year membership to Modern Homesteading Magazine AND the special edition, plus you’ll get over $580 worth of other resources for less than $25!
Click the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead to learn more and grab this special edition issue while it’s available!
Did you know that dandelions were actually INTENTIONALLY brought to North America by European immigrants centuries ago due to their many benefits?
Despite what many people think, dandelions are actually really good for lawns and gardens. Their long taproots help aerate the soil and their colourful flowers are some of the first blooms to attract pollinators to our gardens in the spring.
Second, dandelions are a nutritious and completely edible plant. In fact, every part of the dandelion plant is edible from the roots to the leaves to the flowers. You can make dandelion root tea, dandelion leaf salad and even fried dandelion flowers!
But perhaps most impressive is the fact that dandelions offer a huge range of health benefits from strengthening bones and fighting diabetes to detoxifying your liver and nourishing your skin in all sorts of ways.
Dandelions are also anti-inflammatory as well as high in antioxidants, and when applied topically they can help nourish and clear skin, fight skin infections and help relieve muscle and joint pain, including pain caused by arthritis.
One of my favourite ways to use dandelions is by making an infused oil and then turning that oil into a healing salve. It's super easy to make and it's a great way to put those dandelions in your yard to good use this year!
Click the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/diy-dandelion-salve/ to learn how to make your own dandelion healing salve. Then grab a basket and start gathering up dandelion flowers as soon as they make their appearance this spring! Just make sure to leave some for the bees:) 🐝
.
.
.
#diy #savethebees #dandelion #dandelions #natural #naturalhealing #springflowers #homeapothecary #herbalism
If you’ve been following my stories this week, you probably saw the bumblebee I tried to save. We found her in the middle of our driveway and moved her so she wouldn’t get squished.
She clung onto my hand and wouldn’t let go at first. It was almost as though she was just thankful to have someone caring for her in what would be her final days and hours.
We knew she probably wouldn’t survive. She wasn’t even attempting to fly. She seemed weak, and I couldn’t just toss her to the ground to die. So we got her a little plate of water and gave her a few flower blossoms and set her down.
At first she didn’t move at all. Then, the next day she seemed a little more lively and was crawling around on the flowers. Much like when humans are about to pass, they often get a short, “second wind.” But then yesterday I came out to find she was gone, and although she was just a bee, I felt connected to her in those moments we shared.
The fact is, we ARE all connected to each other, and we ALL depend on each other for survival. Bees and humans in particular have an important relationship. Did you know that honey bees alone are responsible for pollinating over 80% of the world’s fruits and vegetables?
And yet, there are many things that us humans do to our food (like spray it with pesticides and herbicides), that’s killing off bee populations in massive numbers. Because of our dependence on bees in order to feed our global population, their demise could spell our demise.
Whether or not you’ve ever felt personally connected to a bee like I did this week, I guarantee you’re connected to them through the food that you eat. And that’s why it’s so vitally important that we take steps to help bees out whenever we can.
I happen to have a few easy ideas that anybody can implement at home right now to help save these little pollinators from extinction, and in turn, help save our food supply too!
Link in bio @thehouseandhomestead or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/3-easy-ways-to-help-save-the-bees/ to learn 3 EASY ways to help save the bees, and the many reasons why it matters!
A brand new issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine just dropped, and I’m so freaking excited I’m practically squealing like the little piggy on the cover!
The April issue is all about raising livestock!!!
First up, we're examining the relationship between livestock and sustainability, and exploring the idea of "closing the loop" on your farm or homestead. It's a pretty neat concept that looks at livestock in terms of the environment and sustainability, rather than simply looking at them in terms of the food they provide.
Next, we’re talking all about livestock you can keep in any size space. And when I say any size space, I mean ANY SIZE SPACE... Yup! Even an apartment;) So if you've been thinking of adding animals to your homestead but worry that you don't have enough space, well friend, you just might:)
Our guest interview this month is with Shelby DeVore of the blog farminence.com (@farminence). Shelby's passion for raising livestock is matched only by her knowledge on the subject, including years of study and multiple degrees and accolades in the are of animal sciences and agriculture, and I'm so excited to have her here, sharing her story and her wisdom with us all!
If you're a meat-eater, then this month's From-Scratch recipe section is not to be missed! It's full of mouth-watering bacon recipes, including a recipe for homemade maple bacon and melt-in-your-mouth oven-smoked pork belly bites. Plus, learn how to render your own lard at home, so that if you do have a pig of your own, you can make sure nothing goes to waste!
And last but not least, I'm so thrilled to have been able to get some help in the graphic design department this month thanks to the amazing @doeraydesign, so you may notice the magazine looks a little different! Personally, I'm swooning over the redesign. I'd love to hear your thoughts too, so let me know what you think!
If you’re already subscribed, check your inbox for the latest issue! And if you’re not, then head over and click the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/magazine/ to SUBSCRIBE for FREE!
Hot Cross Buns have always been one of my favourite parts of Easter. Growing up, I remember going with my mom to the bakery to pick up a dozen of these sweet buns, and we’d proceed to devour half the box before we even got home.
Honestly, I STILL love Hot Cross Buns from there bakery.But fresh out-of-the-oven HOMEMADE Hot Cross Buns are next level delicious, and they’ve fast become one of our family’s most anticipated spring treats!
If you love Hot Cross Buns as as much as we do, I highly recommend trying your hand at making your own this year!
Link in bio @thehouseandhomestead or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/homemade-hot-cross-buns-recipe/ to grab the full recipe and instructions!
.
.
.
#hotcrossbuns #easter #baking #homemade
🥄 I’ve known for a long time that homemade yogurt was something that many homesteaders pride themselves on making.
I always considered making it myself, and I have to admit I’ve always been a bit jealous when I’ve seen other people making gorgeous batches of thick, creamy homemade yogurt, often made with milk from their own dairy cow. But since I don’t have my own dairy cow (or even dairy goats), homemade yogurt (and home dairy in general) has just never really been at the top of my list of skills to learn.
Plus, without my own dairy cow, I figured I would need to find a source of raw milk to make yogurt (which is illegal where I live) and I knew that even if I could get it, it probably wouldn’t be cheaper than buying it from the grocery store, so why bother?
But when I started putting the latest issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine together (all about Home Dairy) I knew I needed to at least give homemade yogurt a try.
I quickly learned that you don’t need your own dairy animal or even a raw milk source in order to make your own homemade yogurt. I also learned that it’s possible to make it with the best quality, whole, local, non-homogenized milk, and still have it come out cheaper than it would cost for me to buy a comparable quality and quantity of yogurt at the grocery store.
Plus, it’s stupidly easy to make...
All you need is some whole milk, some yogurt starter culture (aka. plain yogurt from the store with live active cultures), and a way to heat up your milk (ie. a pot and a stove), and keep your incubating yogurt warm for a few hours after (a slow cooker, Instant Pot, dehydrator, warm oven, etc.)
While the original recipe appeared in this month’s issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine, you can also grab the full recipe and instructions by clicking the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead or by going to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/homemade-yogurt/
Also, if you haven’t yet subscribed for FREE to Modern Homesteading Magazine, go to thehouseandhomestead.com/magazine to get the Home Dairy issue delivered straight to your inbox:)
🥕 Wouldn't it be nice if we lived in a world where we could trust that all of the food we buy from the grocery store is actually safe for us to eat??
But hundreds and THOUSANDS of dangerous chemicals are still managing to find their way into the foods that many of us eat.
Here are a few stats that should have us all deeply concerned:
- A recent study by the Environmental Working Group found that about 70% of fresh produce sold in the US contained pesticide residues, even after washing.
- The USDA recently found a staggering 225 pesticide residues on 47 different conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables.
- The EWG reported finding at least 2,000 synthetic chemicals in packaged foods.
- Most produce travels around 1,500 miles before it hits your plate, and begins losing nutrients the minute after being picked.
- GMOs are present in roughly 60 to 70 percent of foods on supermarket shelves.
- About half of all synthetic chemicals used on conventionally-grown foods have been shown to be carcinogenic, AND roughly the same amount of "natural" chemicals used on organic foods have been found to be carcinogenic as well.
I could go on, but I think you get my point.
If you want to take control of both your food supply AND ensure that your food is free from GMOs and harmful chemicals, learning how to grow your own food at home really is the best way to go.
That's why I'm so excited to announce that my Seed to Soil Organic Gardening Course is now open for spring 2021 enrollment!
Over the course of 12, step-by-step lessons, I’ll teach you everything you need to know to take a handful of seeds and turn them into baskets full of food. Plus you’ll get access to some pretty sweet bonuses too!
So if you're ready to ditch bland, nutrient-deficient, chemical-laden grocery store food in exchange for nutritious, delicious, picked-at-the-peak-of-ripeness homegrown food, now's your chance to get started right away!
Click the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead or go to https://www.schoolofmodernhomesteading.com/p/seed2soil to enroll or learn more!
It's almost hard to believe that we've been living with the pandemic for an entire year now. But what a year it's been.
Last March, when COVID-19 was first declared a global pandemic, people everywhere panicked and cleared out grocery store shelves quicker than you can say "toilet paper."
Now that we've had a year to adapt, grocery store shelves have been re-stocked and food shortages are no longer a top concern for many people. But there are lingering effects from the pandemic, which is not even over yet.
According to the USDA, food prices in the US are expected to rise a further 1% to 2% in 2021. And in Canada they're expected to rise between 3% and 5%. That means it will cost an average of $695 MORE this year to feed a family of four.
Preparedness and self-sufficiency are becoming increasingly important in a world where natural disasters, civil unrest, surging food costs and the risk of new and worsening pandemics and health threats become more common.
This is where homesteading comes in; Not only is learning how to grow your own food at home a great form of insurance against, well, pretty much everything, it’s also empowering to know that in a world where so much is out of your control, one thing you do have control of is your family's food supply.
But if you're new to gardening or have struggled to get a good harvest before, learning how to grow your own food at home can feel overwhelming, and it can be disheartening to think about sinking a bunch of time and effort into your garden only to get a few scraggly, bug-eaten vegetables in the end.
But gardening and growing food at home really isn't all that complicated when you have a trusted roadmap to follow. This is exactly why I created the Seed to Soil Organic Gardening Course; I wanted to create a step-by-step process that anyone could easily follow and get results in their garden.
Enrollment is now open for the 2021 gardening season, so if you’re ready to learn how to take a handful of seeds and turn it into baskets full of homegrown food, I would love to show you how!
Click the link in my bio or go to https://schoolofmodernhomesteading.com/p/seed2soil to learn more.
Every year we seem to start more and more plants from seed, but we can only expand our gardening space so much to accommodate them all.
One day we have grand dreams of having more acreage, but for the foreseeable future, this 1/4 acre property of ours is where we make our stand.
Our actual growing space only totals about 450 square feet, but we still manage to grow hundreds of pounds of food every year, and we even produce enough of certain crops to get us all the way through to the next harvest without ever having to purchase them from a grocery store.
But growing more food in less space does take a little bit of creativity and smart garden planning, so before you go planting out your garden all willy nilly, I've got a few tips to help you maximize food production on your property and, ultimately, get a bigger harvest in the end.
Click the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead to learn how to grow MORE food in LESS space and make the most of the garden you have this year!
.
.
.
#growmorefood #growmorewithless #homegrownfood #growfoodnotlawns #growyourown #gardenersofinstagram #humanswhogrowfood #homesteading
I freaking LOVE this time of year!
The garlic has popped up, the crocuses and snowdrops are in bloom, the sun has returned and it’s warm enough to hang out in the garden with just a t-shirt during the day ☀️
We’re still getting some hard frosts at night, but spring is finally well and truly on its way and we’re working on prepping our garden for the 2021 season and starting ALL the seeds (even though we really should probably try practicing more restraint).
This time of year brings so much promise and excitement! No matter what happened last year or even last season, spring is a new chance to get it all right.
Everything begins again; The garden, especially, is like a blank slate that we can choose to fill in any way we like.
This is the time when we decide what we want to be enjoying and harvesting out of our gardens MONTHS from now, and even what we want to be pulling from our pantry shelves next winter.
That’s what makes this time of year so special, and so crucial to homesteaders and home gardeners everywhere.
When it comes to the garden, the choices we make and the things we do right now will have a huge impact on how the rest of the season will go. That’s why I’m hosting a free LIVE WEBINAR this weekend, all about the 3 things to do NOW to ensure a healthy, bountiful harvest this year.
Join me at 10 am PST this Saturday and I’ll teach you exactly what to do right now to start things off on the right foot and set yourself up for success in the garden this year so that, ultimately, you end up with more HOMEGROWN FOOD on your dinner table and lining your pantry shelves!
Click the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead to sign up for the webinar and save your seat! And don’t worry too much if you can’t make it live as I’ll be sending out a replay afterward:)
Spring has sprung folks. Let’s do this! 💪
.
.
.
#growyourownfood #growfoodnotlawns #humanswhogrowfood #gardenersofinstagram #growingfood #organicgardening #springgarden
Thank you! I was looking for a list of specifically Plant Therapy diy recipes and this helps me greatly! I can’t trust other companies to use safe dilutions and I’m especially careful when making blends for gifts.