Cute Etsy Find

Let's talk about checkbook covers today. How'd that be? Do any of you use the cheap, crappy little vinyl ones that you get when you order your checks? I do. Because I'm cheap frugal. Back years ago, like before I gave birth or had a yungun' cut out of me or however you prefer to phrase it, I worked at a bank. Do you know that we actually had three color choices for those cheap, crappy little vinyl checkbook covers then? Yes'm we did. Navy, green and red. Now, I guess the cheap, crappy little vinyl checkbook cover companies are experiencing a financial crises where they can't afford green and red pigment or something, because we aren't given color options anymore. The cheap, crappy little vinyl checkbook covers only come in navy blue.

Don't get me wrong...it's not that I really care. It's not one of those life-altering experiences. I don't get bummed when I open my new box of checks and SURPRISE! I get another cheap, crappy little vinyl checkbook cover in navy blue or anything. I think I might actually sew a bunch of them together and make a tablecloth or matching bra and pantie set out of them or something. But, I digress...


Ever since I opened a business account and carry two checkbooks with me, this single color option has been an oh-so-slight pain in the neck. I don't want to take 3 seconds to get the right checkbook when it used to only take me 1 second. Do you feel me? So, I figured I needed to find another checkbook cover. So I thunk and I thunk and then I thunk some more about where I could find another one. And...then it hit me. Duh! Etsy! Y'all, they have everything on that site. I'm pretty sure that if you can think it up, you can probably find someone who makes and sells it on Etsy.


Since my shop is PURE YANKABILLY, I really wanted to find something that had a western feel or cowboy boots. I'm a duplicate check kind of gal, so it was important to me that there be a plastic insert to go between the checks. Look what I found!

Here's a shot of the inside...

It has a place for my register and a plastic piece sewn in for the duplicates. And, it has a cute contrasting fabric on the inside.


I purchased this through a shop called Every Stitch. It was less than $10 and shipped out the same day I purchased it. I saw so many cute covers, though, that had I not had something specific in mind, I would've had a hard time choosing. Prices range anywhere from $5 up, depending on what type of material you prefer.


Now, when I see this in my purse...

I'm back to fishing out the right checkbook in one second flat. That makes me smile. :0)


So, share with me...have you ever purchased anything from Etsy? We're you looking for something specific or just window shopping?


Don't forget, you still have time to enter the giveaway for over $60 in PURE YANKABILLY products!

Uses for Tea Tree Oil

Tea Tree Oil is one of my most favorite essential oils because it is great for so many things. I've already posted about how good it is on pimples. So, today I thought I'd share some more of the uses for this awesome plant extract.


Tea Tree Oil is antiviral, antibacterial, anti-fungal and antiseptic making it top-notch for many of these uses...


Cold Sores and Canker Sores - Dab directly on it.
Dandruff and Itchy Scalp - Add a few drops to your shampoo.
Scratchy Throat and Sniffles - Put a few drops in a cup of warm water and gargle.
For Sinus Infections or Congestion - Put a drop in the water when using a Netti Pot.
Skin issues ranging from bug bites to sunburns to cuts, scrapes and infections - Rub directly on skin or add to a salve and then apply to the skin.
Dental Hygiene - Add a couple drops to some water and swish around for breath freshening, killing remaining germs, and aiding the pain of an aching tooth.
Athlete's Foot - Add in a foot bath and soak those tootsies. Can also rub onto feet either directly or by adding to lotion or oil first.
Laundry - Add a few drops to a load that needs extra disinfecting power - like when illness has been running rampant in your house, for instance. This will also leave your clothes smelling fresher.
General Cleaning - Add a 5-10 drops to your all-purpose cleaner (or better yet, your homemade cleaner) for unbeatable disinfecting power.
Diaper Rash - Add 1-2 drops to an oil such as coconut oil and apply to baby's bottom.
Ringworm and Nail Fungus - Add a drop or two to infected area daily until the issue is gone.
Congestion - Add to a carrier oil and apply to chest. Or, add a few drops to a vaporizer and inhale the steam.
Control mold in the shower - Add 5-10 drops in a spray bottle with a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar. Spray after each shower to keep mold and mildew at bay. Can also spray on and leave for a few minutes as a pre-treatment before a heavy duty cleaning.
Insect Repellent - Add 15 drops to a quart of water.


Tea Tree Oil can also be added to aloe vera gel as an easy way to apply it to the skin.


As you can see, there are so many uses for Tea Tree Oil that a bottle is not going to go to waste. It is pretty inexpensive and can usually be found anywhere that sells essential oils. Mountain Rose Herbs sells 1/2 oz. for $5.25.


So, have you ever used Tea Tree Oil?  What do you use it for?  Am I missing anything?  Feel free to leave a comment with your favorite uses if I have. :0)


P.S. Don't forget to enter the giveaway for 5 PURE YANKABILLY skincare items.

It's Time to Spill the Beans...And a Giveaway!

OK, I'm ready to get back to more regular blogging after some intensive work on another project. And, I'm ready to spill the beans on just what that project is. :0) Where shall I begin?


I've been making not only cleaning products, but personal care products for my family for several years now. I have researched and experimented, then researched some more. I'm always looking for ways to shed toxins and chemicals and incorporate healing plant extracts. The benefits that my family has experienced because of this have been incredible. Back a few months ago I started sharing some of my tips and recipes with y'all and was blown away by the response. Evidently, I'm not the only one ready to say goodbye to Big Business in skin care. I'm just tickled pink at so many of your comments sharing how these things are benefiting you, too!


Shortly before Christmas, things started snowballing into what I can only call "A God Thing". Allow me to share a few of the highlights. My husband started using some of the newer products I made to give as Christmas gifts, and he commented to me that I should start selling it. At our Christmas gathering, my extended family heartily agreed. Between the holidays, my cousin and I went into a health store in my hometown on a reconnaissance mission and the owner overheard our conversation. She said that she would like to carry my products. I was still in the planning stage at that point. Then, my husband received an unexpected year-end bonus from work (that he's never gotten before) and we realized that God had just provided our start-up funds. So, PURE YANKABILLY ~ All Natural Skincare was born. You may have noticed that I already snuck a new tab in up there with a link to the shop. Is it snuck or sneaked? Anyone? Good thing I don't teach grammar...


My eyes have recently been opened to the fact that there are "do-ers" in life and then there are those who would rather not mess with it themselves. I'm a do-er.  Always have been. I know many of you are, too. You're the type of person who takes great joy in the challenge and the following satisfaction of figuring out how to do and make things yourself. I understand that this may not be for you. But, there are many folks who either don't have time to do the research, hunt down ingredients and then actually make something - or they have no interest in it. Many of them still want to rid their lives of chemicals and take a more natural approach, though. Let me quote the famous Doc Holliday here..."I'll be your Huckleberry!"


If you're a do-er, then I wish you many happy concoctions! I hope you continue to enjoy the skin care recipes I have listed here as well as those from all around the web. My eye cream recipe has been the most popular post on my blog every since I hit "publish". And, it's good stuff. But, my new eye cream that I sell in my shop is great stuff. I've added awesome healing and anti-aging ingredients to it and then whipped it to a wonderful consistency. That's what I've done with everything in my shop. I put in extra research and tracked down the finest ingredients I could get my hands on to make each product the best it could possibly be. 


I've been giving samples to people that I know in real life and have had some really amazing reports rolling in. I'll share some of them with you later. But, for now I want to get to the fun part! In honor of PURE YANKABILLY'S grand opening - I'm going to do two giveaways.


For those of you who may want to go ahead and try something - I'm offering a 15% coupon for liking my PURE YANKABILLY Facebook page. So, are you ready for the first giveaway? I thought so!


Here's what you'll receive:

Gentle Bar Soap - 5 ounces

This is the only soap my family uses. It's in the shower and at the bathroom and kitchen sinks. It lathers so nicely that me and Chris both use it for shaving now, saving the expense of shave gel. Since making this I've also been able to say goodbye to a separate face wash because this is awesome for taking good care of the face. I often use it to wash my hair. It's gentle enough to use as an all-in-one soap and shampoo for your babies, too. We always take it with us when we travel, because Isaac's hands will inevitably crack and bleed if we don't. That's not a lot of fun for him. Can you tell we love this stuff? 

Hard Lotion Bar - 1.5 ounces

This is my husband's all-time favorite item. This man has never used any type of lotion because he can't stand the feel on his skin. Y'all, he even puts this on his face. Like, every night. It's not greasy at all, but very nourishing and moisturizing. It's even taking the callouses off of his hands that he's had for the entire 17 years we've been married. 'Nuff said.

Organic Sugar Scrub - 8 ounces

Peppermint Grapefruit

I use this scrub from head to toe two or three times a week. It's wonderful to use before shaving. Although, it would be nice if it was the kind of 'sugaring' that took care of that for you, too. You'll have to do that yourself, though, unless you just enjoy looking like 'the missing link'. I won't judge you if you do. Anyhoo, it does a fantastic job of exfoliating and then leaves you wonderfully moisturized. Someone I recently shared this with said it was better than a scrub that she paid $60 for. I'll let you tell me what you think...

Flower Power Soothing Salve - 2 ounces

I created this salve for our trip to Michigan at Christmas. I was out of our hard lotion bar and knew that I needed to bring some sort of moisturizer with us because of Isaac's hands - and regular lotions cause them to break out. Even when we take our soap with us he usually will have a minor flare up from not using it 100% of the time. I intended this to be a rich, general moisturizer (which it is), but was happily surprised to find that it is very healing as well. Someone that we gave a sample to recently has reported that it has made a tremendous difference for her husband, who has been plagued for years with a skin condition that the doctors have been unable to help him with. Use it on anything that is fungal in nature,  burns, eczema, to generally soothe skin and more. This is my mom's favorite, by the way.

and finally...

Green Goodness Healing Balm - 2 ounces

Y'all, this stuff is UH-MAZ-ING! It is a blend of 6 healing herbs that I've infused into EVOO, unrefined and cold-pressed. Then, I add a bunch of other oils that have a strong history of healing a myriad of issues. It's good for cuts, burns, fungal infections, bug bites, boils, rashes, eczema, psoriasis, bruises, sprains and SO much more. 

These products have a $60.25 value. The giveaway will run until Thursday, March 22, 2012.

Whew! This was a long post so I'm gonna keep entering the giveaway pretty simple, K? 

To Enter Giveaway:

Simply leave me a comment telling me which item you're most excited about trying.

For extra entries, leave a separate comment for each of the following...

+1 - Follow Ramblings of a Happy Homemaker - or tell me if you already do.

+1 - Follow PURE YANKABILLY on Facebook - or tell me if you already do.

+1 - Blog about this giveaway and then leave me the link for your post in the comments.

+1 - Share about this giveaway on Facebook and then let me know you did.

I've had some people share with me that they aren't able to leave a comment on my blog for some reason. I've tried unsuccessfully to figure out why. If you find that you fall into this category, shoot me an e-mail at hhramblings@gmail.com telling me what you did to enter. There's actually a button on my sidebar that will let you do this quickly. One e-mail with all your info will be fine.

Alright, that's all folks! Good luck to you! And, thanks for reading. :0)


I'm sharing this post at Your Green Resource.

I Need Your Help..

OK, y'all...I've mentioned that I've been working on something huge that has kept me from blogging since the first of the year. I was hoping that I could keep it a secret until 'The Big Reveal'. But...I need help. So, I'm going to spill a little bit of the beans in hopes that somebody out there reading this might be able to help me - or at least point me in the right direction. :0)


I'm starting a business. It is going to include an Etsy shop, but I also have a chiropractor and nurse that owns a health food store already interested in carrying my products. I also have the opportunity to do some in-home parties. While this is all very exciting, there is the whole business end to deal with.  And, when I say business, I really mean taxes. Being tax season and all, I can't get into my tax guy right away for this issue. I know a lot of you have Etsy shops. Do we have to charge taxes on our products? If so, do we have to charge them for each state that would possibly be buying from us? Then there is the whole issue of selling retail. And, in multiple states. BAH! Anyone out there have experience with this or know someone who can point me in the right direction? Anyone? ANYONE? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

Bueller?



Ferris Bueller's Day Off

— MOVIECLIPS.com

Can A Cavity Be Healed?

OK, y'all.  I have something really cool/freaky to share with you that happened to me yesterday. But first, you need a little back story. :0)


My dad was an auto worker, so we had AWESOME insurance when I was growing up.  This meant that I saw the dentist every six months for my entire growing up years. Then, as an adult I couldn't rely on Daddy's insurance. Unfortunately, Daddy's insurance is hard to come by. My husband's insurance rarely included dental, so I would go years without seeing a dentist. We all would. Anybody relate to that? 


About a year and a half to two years ago I got one of those fliers in the mail for a free cleaning and exam from a dental office. So, I made an appointment for me and Isaac to get our teeth cleaned. It was one of those offices with the newest high-tech equipment that probably cost a fortune and the bill gets passed along to the patients. Both of us had cavities. I don't remember which was which at this point, but one of us had four and the other had five. The estimate they gave us to get them filled was $800 and $900. That just seemed astronomical to me so I called around and found a much more reasonable dentist just around the corner from me. He had actually been recommended by our tax guy. First, I made Isaac an appointment. The dentist found all the same cavities that the high-tech place did using nothing more than his metal pokey thing and his training. We got Isaac's cavities filled for a third of the price it was going to cost us at the other place. Plus, we just love the dentist and hygienists that work there. They have this rare trait called bedside manner. Or, maybe it's personality. It could be that they just care more about their patients than raking in as much dough as possible. Whatever it is, it roped us in.


Well, after we got Isaac fixed up, we got Dad in there. He had some pretty serious dental work that needed to be fixed. My cavities could wait. And, wait they did. Until yesterday.


Now, remember, it's been a year and a half to two years since I had that initial exam that showed I had four or five cavities. In the mean time, we've been slowly making changes to our diet. When the dentist examined my teeth yesterday I only had one small cavity. He said it was very small - just how they like to catch them.  One cavity? Now under different circumstances I would be tempted to think that maybe he just didn't find the other ones without all of the new-fangled, high-tech equipment that the other place had. But remember, he found all of the same cavities that they said Isaac had.  


I've read in several places lately where cavities can actually be healed just like any other bone can be. Although, most mainstream dentists would disagree, the scientific proof is there and the research all started because of a dentist named Weston A. Price. Ever heard of Nourishing Traditions? Evidently, diet plays a crucial role. 


I can't put my finger on one specific thing that we've changed in our diet that would cause these results in my teeth, because we've made a lot of little changes. I began using traditional fats, eliminating most of the processed food we ate, began including coconut oil in my diet and recently we bought a pastured hog and half of a grass-fed cow. I make bone broth. We don't eat nearly as much bread as we used to and started taking fermented Cod Liver Oil.  We stopped using toothpaste that has fluoride in it and just used tooth soap for a while. Some of these things we've been doing for a while, some are more recent. And, we don't do any of these things perfectly. In fact, we still eat too much sugar. We're baby stepping. I think it must be working, though. Even though I can't see the effects of our changes on the outside as much, yet (That stubborn weight!) - the fact that my teeth are actually healing from cavities is pretty strong evidence to me that these are very healthy changes.


This is all pretty new and still wild to me. I never believed that a cavity could be healed because I'd never heard it was possible. I thought that once the damage was done that was the end of the story. But, after reading some about it, the possibility became believable. Especially when I started thinking about how God created our bodies to heal themselves. If a cut, wound or bone can heal - why not a tooth? And then I went to the dentist. I have seen the proof for myself.


Here are a few of links to articles on this in case you're interested in reading more about it.
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/how-i-healed-my-childs-cavity/
http://gnowfglins.com/2010/02/08/rfqm-curing-tooth-decay-by-ramiel-nagel/
http://www.learningherbs.com/news_issue_79.html


So, what do you think? Have you ever heard of cavities being healed? Any thoughts you'd like to weigh in with?


I'm linking this up at Simple Lives Thursday, Homestead Barn Hop, and Your Green Resource.

Whoo Hoo! I'd like to thank Kari from the blog, Moo Said the Mama, with The Versatile Blogger award. Like, really.  From the bottom of my heart. I feel especially honored to receive this award since I've been pretty quiet on the blog-front lately (getting ready for a soon to be announced adventure). So, once again, thanks Kari!


Here are the RULES for the Versatile Blogger Award -

1. Add the award to your blog. 
2. Thank the blogger who gave it to you.
3. Mention seven random things about yourself. (see below)
4. List the rules.
5. Award to 15 bloggers.
6. Inform each of those 15 by leaving a comment on their blog.
  
So, do you really want to know 7 random things about me?  Alrighty, then.


1. I've dreamed of living in the mountains every since I was 4 years old and we'd make trips to West Virginia to see family.  Did you realize that you just got a two-for-one random blurb in this one? :0)


2. I once got to be in the choir for the Handel's Young Messiah Tour at the Pontiac Silver Dome in Michigan.  That was really cool.


3. I have really wide feet. I recently left DSW in tears because I couldn't find a single pair of tennis shoes to fit me from either the women's or men's department.


4. I recently ordered a pair of tennis shoes from the Brooks website. I'm not crying anymore.


5. I suffered through 3 hurricanes and a lightening strike all within about a three month span.


6. I never wore braces.


7. I had my hair dyed after I graduated from high school and it was so Bozo-ish that my dad made me go get it fixed before we left for vacation. Yes, it was really that bad.


My choices for the award are for bloggers who inspire me, teach me something, make me laugh, or a mish-mash of all these qualities.


And the next "The Versatile Blogger" awards go to (in alphabetical order)...


1. A Delightful Home


2. Crunchy Betty


3. Frugal Granola


4. Frugally Sustainable


5. Growing Home


6. Home Joys


7. Homestead Revival


8. Jill's Home Remedies


9. Jo's Health Corner


10. Our Simple Farm


11. Overflow of a Forgiven Soul


12. Parisienne Farmgirl


13. Penniless Parenting


14. Stuck in Frump, Striving for Fab


15. Tea Rose Home

Rendering Tallow

Well, I finally got a huge job that had been looming large over my head finished. I got all the fat from the 1/2 side of grass-fed beef that we bought rendered into tallow. It amazes that 1/2 of an entire cow only had six and a half quarts of fat on it. 


I basically followed the same procedure as when I rendered lard a couple of months ago, except I did it in a bit lazier way. Instead of chopping all of the fat into 1" pieces, I simply put the slabs of fat into my containers whole. They were pretty large and I just didn't have space to chop it.

Both crock pots and my 9 quart Dutch oven were completely full of beef fat. I set both crock pots and the burner on my stove to low and let them be.


As the fat began to melt, I strained it into quart jars through a cheese cloth. Eventually I was able to add the fat from the red crock pot to the Dutch oven to save counter space.

These pictures show the liquefied fat during the melting process. This is what I pulled out with a ladle and strained into jars. I kept at this until there was no more fat to be rendered.

The fat in the crock pot was finished first. Here you can see the hard bits left over after the fat was completely liquefied. I need to mention that this makes your house smell like heaven while it's cooking. The bits of meat that are left on the slabs of fat when the cow is butchered are irresistible to certain meat-loving husbands, too. :0)

The Dutch oven still had a way to go by the time the crock pot was finished. This could have been because it was so much larger. I actually preferred this pot because the cast iron is wonderful at holding in heat evenly, allowing me to use a lower temperature to render the tallow. This is preferable, in my opinion.  


All in all, it took 3 days for all of the fat to be rendered into tallow. There was very little I had to do during that time, besides occasionally ladling the fat into jars. It may have taken less time had I cut the fat into smaller pieces before I started. Since I didn't really have room for that and wouldn't have to touch it much while it was working it's magic anyway, I just didn't see the need for that extra step.

Now I have six and a half beautiful quarts of a traditional, healthy fat to cook with in addition to the lard I have left. Although, this took a long time - it took very little effort.  Even the clean-up was a breeze. After I emptied each crock pot and the Dutch oven, I filled them with water and let the water heat in them for a while. This pulled almost all of the fat residue off the sides and bottoms of the pots. I then dumped the water and washed as usual. There was no problem with bits and pieces stubbornly sticking to it.


Traditionally, tallow was used in soap-making and for candles as well as for cooking. I'm glad to know that I could use it for those purposes in case of an emergency, but think I'll stick to cooking with it myself.


So tell me - have you ever bought a share of a cow? And, if you have - did you save the fat for tallow? Do you think it's something you would ever consider doing?


OK...on to something else briefly. I want to give you a sneak peak of what's been keeping me so busy and away from my blog lately. Ready?

I'm linking up at Homestead Barn Hop, Monday Mania, These Chicks Cooked, Traditional Tuesdays, Teach Me Tuesdays, Fat Tuesday, Hearth and Soul Blog Hop, Simple Lives Thursday, and Real Food 101.