Category: DIY

DIY, Kitchen Basics

Benefits of Lard + How to Render It

Kristine

Lard, or pig fat, has long been utilized for cooking and baking. It is stable fat that is well-suited for frying. It is also a wonderful addition to soaps and skincare products.

While lard and other animal fats were once widely utilized, in last century or so they have been intentionally demonized by the industrial food industry (Smith, 2012). Instead, people are encouraged to use highly processed, industrially produced vegetable oils that have been touted as a “healthier” option. However, research is starting to show that these oils are not as benign or healthful as we were once led to believe.

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DIY, Non-Toxic Home, Soap Making

Nettle & Green Clay Tallow Soap

Kristine

This botanical soap is handcrafted with nettle (Urtica dioica), an herb that provides an array of vitamins & minerals and is an excellent tonic for the whole body, including the skin. 

One study found that nettle has anti-aging effects due to antioxidants and other constituents that help inhibit damage leading to wrinkles and loss of tone. 

The addition of mineral rich green clay soothes, exfoliates, and helps remove impurities from the skin.

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DIY, Non-Toxic Home

Introduction to Cold Process Soap Making

Kristine

Have you ever wanted to try making your own soap? Likely it’s much easier than you think. 

I’ve been making soap for a few years now, and was selling soaps at the weekly local market, in pre-pandemic times. 

For me, soap making is a lot of fun. I enjoy crafting all sorts of botanical concoctions, and making my own soap allows me to infuse the soap my family uses daily with lovely, nourishing ingredients.

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DIY, Non-Toxic Home

Soap Making Essentials

Kristine

I wanted to try my hand at cold process soap making for quite some time before I actually made the leap. For me, working with lye felt intimidating and the whole process seemed difficult & complicated.

Now that I’ve been making soap for a few years, its hard to believe how long I waited to give it a try. I’ve found that soaping is actually pretty easy and is really quite enjoyable. Crafting my own dish soap has been one of my favorite swaps for toxic conventional products to date!

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DIY, Drinks, Recipes

Make Your Own Herbal Dream Pillows & Tea

Kristine


Throughout history, dreams have had a special significance in many cultures. There are written records of dream interpretations dating back to over 5,000 years old. The ancient Egyptians highly valued dreams, especially vivid ones, as they believed they were communicated from the gods. The Greeks also felt that dreams were divine messages and used interpretations of their dreams to help them make decisions, predict the future, and solve problems.

Today, dreams are still a bit of a mystery to us. Some researchers claim that they help to store memories, while others feel that they are important for resolving conflicts and regulating mood.

Poor sleep and difficulty with recall can make it hard to benefit from our dreams. Herbal dream pillows and teas can help promote peaceful sleep, vivid dreams & recall.

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