"Bless Thee" Vintage Bookmark Set ~ Free Printable Gift For You

Like our "give thanks" bookmarks, these would be a sweet gift to anyone and of any age this season.

They would also make a precious favor for a nostalgic place setting.

Tuck one into a letter for a far away friend.

Use it as a gift tag...

Include a beautiful book (some favorites here) and you will delight a child.

Simply download your free set from HERE. They are best printed on a thicker card-stock. For extra fun, punch a hole at the top of the bookmark and attach some pretty ribbon. And finally, a special thank you to the The Graphics Fairy for the lovely clip art!

"The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:

The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."

~ Numbers 6:24-26

All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, The Homesteader Hop, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, and Shabbilicious Friday. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them).

5 Wonderful Winter Projects for Seasonal Homemaking

"This is the time of year when we can take pleasure in our earlier labors and

feast on the flavors of spring and summer that are filling the shelves of our kitchen and pantry...

1. Make Marshmallows ~ A Sweet Treat

It is the time to nurture ourselves with delicious foods,

to luxuriate in scented baths and to pamper ourselves with tempting sweets...

2. Prepare a Batch of "Almond Joy" Body Scrub

It is the season of giving, when we can make gifts for our friends and family...

3. Make Some "Welcome Winter" Room Spray or Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

and fill our homes with the smells of traditional spices that are an essential part of the seasonal festivities.

4.  Decorate Your Family Dining Room with Scripture

It is a time to look forward, and in doing so,

5. Dry Citrus Slices and Enjoy These Easy Homemaking Projects

... we complete the eternal cycle and once again greet the coming of spring."

~ The Country Store by Stephanie Donaldson

"Out of the south cometh the whirlwind:
and cold out of the north.

By the breath of God frost is given:

and the breadth of the waters is straitened.

~ Job 37:9-10

All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, The Homesteader Hop, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, and Shabbilicious Friday. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them). Clip art background courtesy of Free Pretty Things for You.

Greetings, dear ladies! For the new few months, I will be sharing a few pre-scheduled posts (and round-ups) as I prepare for and enjoy a wonderful extended visit with out-of-town family. With that being said, I will not be able to do much online "visiting" and commenting but would still love to hear from you in the comments should you desire to share. Thank you for understanding and have a lovely week!

Love, JES

5 Wonderful Winter Wellness Tips

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” 

~ Benjamin Franklin

There is nothing like prevention when it comes to winter wellness. We are able to avoid many of the seasonal sicknesses by applying the following lifestyle practices. Is there anything that you can add to our little list?

1. Drink plenty of herbal teas - This is a gentle and warming winter habit that you will enjoy! I like to keep a teapot out all day filled with herbs. As it is consumed, I refill it with more hot water to keep it available to all who could use a soothing cup. Immune building herbs such as elderberry, rose hips, peppermint, hibiscus, lemongrass, citrus peel and nettle are all good choices (mix and match your favorites). Echinacea should be added to teas as soon as you feel the cold/flu symptoms coming on but discontinue use after a few weeks in order to avoid an immunity (you can take the other herbs as often as you please but echinaceas effectiveness will decrease if used continually). Ginger, honey and lemon stirred into hot water also makes a nice (and medicinal), warming winter beverage.

2. Drink homemade broths and stocks - Nutrient-dense bone broths provides the body with much needed minerals, immune-boosting and infection fighting powers and overall health support. Keep a thermos filled with hot broth and serve in between meals as a warming beverage, use as a base for soups, stews, sauces and in place of water in rice. 

3. Eat lots of onions and garlic - What a tasty way to provide immune support! The sky is the limit to using these medicinal foods. Both being a part of the allium family, they contain allicin which is an immune stimulating compound which promotes the activity of white blood cells to destroy cold and flu viruses (among other immune support benefits). Eating the foods raw is more favorable. Try adding them to homemade salsas or sprinkle raw garlic over pizzas with a drizzle of olive oil and herbs. 

4. Stock your pantry with (and use) medicinal spices and foods - Stir herb infused honey into teas, pour herbal syrups over pancakes and herbal honey into hot oatmeal. Add plenty of the immune building spices to your meals such as turmeric, cumin, cayenne, ginger, coriander, fennel, black pepper, curry powder and cinnamon. You will find many of these kinds of recipes in our ebook here.

5. Enjoy essential oils - If you have an essential oil diffuser, add the citrus oils, cinnamon, eucalyptus, rosemary, lavender and/or the Thieves and On Guard Blends. These will help to purity the air, kill bacteria and keep moisture in the dry winter air. If you run a fireplace, keep a pot of water filled with some essential oils in the room to help avoid dry coughs that can bring on the croup in young-ins (or place pot directly on wood burning stove and continue to add water as it evaporates). Apply the On Guard and/or Thieves oil blends onto the back of neck, front of neck and shoulders when going out in public (or frugally make your own here). Make up some "Get Well Soon Spray" which will not only disinfect but also cleanse the stale indoor air. Use it as a room spray, germ killer and sanitizer for door handles, sink handles and telephones.

Besides keeping hydrated, balanced nutrition and getting the proper amount of sleep each night, these are easy ways to keep a healthy home during the cold and flu season. To your health, dear reader! 

All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, The Homesteader Hop, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, and Shabbilicious Friday. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them). 

Greetings, dear ladies! For the new few months, I will be sharing a few pre-scheduled posts (and round-ups) as I prepare for and enjoy a wonderful extended visit with out-of-town family. With that being said, I will not be able to do much online "visiting" and commenting but would still love to hear from you in the comments should you desire to share. Thank you for understanding and have a lovely week!

Love, JES

Ebook Tutorial Tour, Free Printable Tabs & Other Tidbits! :)

“And to all this she must yet add something more substantial,

in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.” 

~ Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Hello there, dear reader! Today I wanted to answer some of the questions I was getting on our ebook (100+ DIY Projects to Make with Fruit Scraps) as well as highlight some of the tutorials from the ebook from other lovely bloggers. I also wanted to share some printable tabs for your convenience along with some other idea-like tidbits! :)

photos courtesy of Annabel at The Bluebirds are Nesting

For instance, I was asked if the buyers were permitted to print the ebook out. The answer is YES. If you purchased it, feel free to print it out for your household! Annabel at The Bluebirds are Nesting had hers printed out in full color and bound. Her copy looks really nice (she shared pictures above)! She also wrote up a review for those who are interested in more information. Her blog is one of my favorites and I encourage you to make a visit over!

I printed ours in black and white and had it spiral-bound with a plastic cover. I found it less expensive to take a copy of the PDF file to a printer-shop than paying for our printer ink. I personally love a hard copy of this type of information, for around our area, electricity isn't taken for granted. Another thought with the black and white copy, is that you can color in the matching labels yourself if you would like to have a brighter and prettier product display (as that was initially my drawback for having a black/white copy).

My daughter wanted a color copy (and also wanted to have it for her hope chest). At this point (because our printer ink is expensive), I suggested she print out each recipe as she uses it so that we are not wiped out of ink and it affords us the ability to not pay for ink on recipes she isn't interested in using at this time. She can place the recipes in a binder and conveniently add to it. She can slide in the "cover page" into the front binder insert slot. This may be a solution to some of you who wanted to print out color copies but were concerned with the printer ink; just print the recipes you need as you go along to ease the "printer-ink pain" and store them in a 3-ring binder.

Many had hoped for a hard copy but once I put the figures into Amazon self-publishing, the book would have ended up costing over $35 with all the full-color photographs and labels (yikes!). I wouldn't even pay that! The idea of the ebook PDF format is that you can choose what you want to do with it depending on your budget and needs. 

For those of you who have chosen to print it out, I have prepared some tabs which you can glue onto each chapter for convenience should you desire them. Just follow this link: free printable tabs. The tabs are best printed on card stock, folded in half, affixed with glue to each chapter section and staggered as you attach them.

photo courtesy of Jan at The Nerdy Farm Wife

And lastly, I wanted to present our "Ebook Tutorial Tour" which share some of the posts that featured a few of our recipes from the ebook by some lovely ladies. Jan at The Nerdy Farm Wife shared a beautiful tutorial for our Lemon Honey Bee Balm. Her blog is filled with many neat bath, body and herbal recipes and I am sure you will enjoy your visit there!

Photo excerpted from our ebook, 100+ DIY Projects to Make with Fruit Scraps.

Shelle at Prepardness Mama shared this quick recipe for our Spicy Seasoning Blend. It is fun to fill the pantry with homemade mixes such as these and our Ebook is full of them!

photo courtesy of Lynn at Quaker Hill Farm

Lynn at Quaker Hill Farm shared her rendition of our Autumn Simmering Potpourri. Her pictures are just gorgeous and I can practically smell the potpourri from here! Can't you?

Sandy at Herbs and Oils Hub shared our recipe for the Mulling Spice Medicinal Honey. This is a flavorful and medicinal electuary which is perfect for cold and flu season and/or preventative health. An "electuary" is simply powdered herbs and medicinal spices mixed with honey (or other sweeteners). Such a pleasant way to make the medicine go down! 

We shared an instructional post of our DIY Frugal Version ~ On Guard® or Thieves® Protective Oil Blend HERE. For those of you who purchased the ebook, this tutorial shares more detailed pictures for making a medicinal oil which may be helpful to you.

We also shared a DIY post for our Lemonade Lip Balm. For those of you who purchased the ebook and wanted a quicker way to infuse your oil, visit here for an easy and quick method!



Did you know that you can make your own cleaning products from fruit scraps? Here is a tutorial recipe we shared from the ebook of our DIY dusting spray.

And finally, we shared our recipe for this Apple Cinnamon Scrap Syrup right here on this blog for those of you who are interested. It is one of my favorites! 

Susan R. from Tasmania kindly shares a picture of her homemade Lemon Astringent from the ebook.

Well, that is it! I hope you have enjoyed the tutorials we have shared or the Ebook if you purchased it. If you did purchase the Ebook and were willing, I would really appreciate if you would take a moment to leave a quick review on Amazon here! It would be VERY helpful!

If you liked these recipes, you will find 100+ more frugal ideas on how to use up those nutrient-rich fruit scraps in our Ebook here (which also includes printable labels making it a great gift-giving resource)!

Happy kitchen-crafting, ladies!

All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, The Homesteader Hop, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, and Shabbilicious Friday. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them).

Benefits of Mother Reading Aloud to Her Older Children

"My son, hear the instruction of your father,

And do not forsake the law of your mother;

For they will be a graceful ornament on your head,

And chains about your neck."

~ Proverbs 1:8-9

As mothers, we feel like we are always teaching, preaching and lecturing (and rightly so!). However, I wanted to share a more peaceful and enjoyable approach to instilling values into our children. What I have found to be very beneficial, is saving some of my "little sermons" for our special reading time together.  For once you enter that world of literature, much instruction from mother can take place in a natural and non-invasive way. The bonus is all those wonderful memories being shared together with wonderful books which also imparts a broader knowledge of vocabulary, history and human nature. And please don't forget that a cup of tea always nurtures a cozy and peaceful atmosphere which sets the stage lovingly.

Radient Morning by Lisa Auger

I am not merely speaking of children who can not read but more specifically, those that do. Older children have a lot of physical, emotional and spiritual needs which reading time with mother can help to nurture.  Reading a variety of literature, inspirational and instructional books help to place experiences and ideas in front of our children prior to them experiencing them in the "real world". This is so helpful because we can not follow our children around all through their life (though some may want to!). They are eventually going to be unleashed and left alone in this wicked world. We may wonder if we taught them enough? Are they prepared for what is ahead or what situations may lie in their paths? This is where the beautiful bonding of reading together comes in!

Through the pages of noble books, we are placing thousands of different scenarios in front of our dear children and, we are available at that moment to offer gentle instruction in a "should this happen to you, sort of way". We are placing a scene detailing the importance of honesty, purity, mercy or perhaps even safety before them! We are watching a character from a book being introduced into a potentially harmful situation. Or, perhaps the girl in the novel is facing a spiritual dilemma. Now, at that point, we can discuss the appropriate way to handle the obstacles that are placed before the main character in the book. What does Scripture teach about this certain situation?  This would be applicable for all ages and reading, whether it be picture books, chapter books, classics or instructional books. We have the perfect opportunity to share the wisdom of God to our children through carefully chosen literature.

Reading by James Shannon

For example, in the book, Dear Princess: A Book for Girls by Mary M. Landis, the author places some girls in a situation where they are alone, walking on a country road when a car of strange boys drive by and start to interact with them. There are many safety lessons at that point that can be discussed with your daughters. What would they have done in a similar situation? What would you suggest is a good approach to their predicament? You are able to place the seed of safety into your young maiden's heart prior to experiencing something on her own. She is that much more prepared and wise for the outside world.

When reading Beautiful Girlhood by Mabel Hale, the "Dreams" chapter beckons us to ask our daughter's to share their dreams. Have they changed since she last spoke of them?  Are they godly goals? If so, what preparations can be made in order to facilitate them? If they are lacking in noble direction, your motherly instruction described in Proverbs would be in order.

Another example would be, when reading something as pleasurable as Anne of Green Gables together, we can stop at the chapter when Anne loses her temper and hits Gilbert over the head with her slate. We can ask our daughter casually, "what would you have done?" We can talk together about a more "fitting" way to have handled that test of patience and we can laugh about how we may have wanted to handle it like Anne!

A Story Read by James Tissot

Reading together gives you the opportunity to see how your children react to certain circumstances. It is the perfect time to talk about situations hypothetically instead of waiting for something to happen in "real life" when you may not be available to help them. Discuss different scenarios with them so that if they ever experience it in "real life" they have your loving insight to fall back on should the need ever arise.

As I don't have a son, my examples are geared toward young ladies. However, it is worthy to mention that the same concept applies to your young men. Books can foster the development of character of a true, godly, courageous, noble gentleman who will one day lead a home of his own in honor to God.

Mother and Daughter by George Goodwin Kilburne

"My son, keep your father’s command,

And do not forsake the law of your mother.

Bind them continually upon your heart;

Tie them around your neck.

When you roam, they will lead you;

When you sleep, they will keep you;

And when you awake, they will speak with you."

~ Proverbs 6:20 - 22

Dear mothers, this message of "teaching" is written TWICE in Proverbs which only stresses the importance of passing knowledge down to your children. What better way than by your example, the influence of good and proper books and the Scriptures to guide you through life's lessons. It prompts the question in your child's mind, "What would Jesus do?" and by God's grace and your diligent instruction, the Holy Spirit will strengthen them to do it!

All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, The Homesteader Hop, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, and Shabbilicious Friday. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them). This article has been slightly adapted from our original article here.

Greetings, dear ladies! For the new few months, I will be sharing a few pre-scheduled posts (and round-ups) as I prepare for and enjoy a wonderful extended visit with out-of-town family. With that being said, I will not be able to do much online "visiting" and commenting but would still love to hear from you in the comments should you desire to share. Thank you for understanding and have a lovely week!

Love, JES

{DIY} Make Your Own "Frugal & Fun" Lemonade Lip Balm

'"Is your lemonade sweet enough?" Mrs. Oleson asked. So Laura knew that it was lemonade in the glasses. She had never tasted anything like it."

~ Laura Ingalls Wilder, On the Banks of Plum Creek

Lemonade needn't be saved for summer! As the season of lemons is actually winter, let's utilize this fruit in a fun and frugal project that will benefit you year round! The following recipe is an excerpt from our Ebook, 100+ DIY Projects to Make with Fruit Scraps. It is from the chapter of "Bath and Body Care" recipes, which features a variety of all-natural products to fill your powder room shelves such as balms, bath salts, face care products, natural perfume, scrubs, easy to make soaps, oils, powders, etc.

Before we begin the quick-to-make lip balm, we first need to infuse the oil. This is what makes this recipe frugal! We are tapping into the aromatic and medicinal benefits of the fruit peel instead of purchasing an expensive oil! There are many ways to do this but today we are sharing the quick maceration method on the stove top.

Fill a small clean jar with at least 1/4 c. of dried, chopped lemon peel (if using fresh peels, let them sit out for a day prior to infusing to remove excess moisture). Next, pour the oil of choice (i.e., almond oil, grape seed oil, jojoba, sunflower oil, etc.) over the citrus peels and cover by at least 1 – 2 inches (it helps to mark the outside of the jar prior to covering with oil). Lightly cap the jar and place it inside of a small pot filled 2/3 of the way with water (this makes a double boiler). Cook at the lowest heat for several hours (you don't want to burn the oil so be careful that it is gentle) making sure to keep an eye on the water content (and refill as necessary so it doesn't evaporate). When time has elapsed, strain the oil through a fine piece of cotton or muslin and store in a clean, glass jar . Your lemon infused oil is ready to use!

Lemonade Lip Balm

(feel free to double and triple the recipe)

Ingredients/Supplies:

•  1 tbsp. grated (tightly packed) beeswax or pastilles (which are very convenient)

•  5 tsp. lemon infused oil (see directions above)

•  4 - 5 chap stick tubes or lip balm containers 

Place the lemon infused oil and beeswax inside of a double boiler (or prepare the makeshift version above that can be tossed after without clean up). Put on stove over medium-low heat until contents are melted and clear. Remove from heat. Pour mixture into lip balm containers as soon as possible because it will start to thicken. If mixture does thicken up before containers are filled, simply reheat in the double boiler and re-pour. For best results, let the lip balm set overnight prior to capping. 

Yield: Approx. 4 – 5 chap-stick tubes

Feeling frugal? Recycle old lip balm containers, mint tins, small condiment jars and/or baby food jars for this project.

Lip balms also make wonderful gifts! We share matching printable labels for all our bath and body care recipes, pantry recipes, medicinal recipes, etc., in our Ebook making it a fun and frugal resource for the homemaker! 

If you enjoyed this recipe, we share 100+ more ideas on how to creatively use up those nutrient-rich fruit scraps in our Ebook here! Recipes include balms, bath salts, perfume, scrubs, easy-to-make fancy soaps, facial products, potpourris, room sprays, sachets, candy, syrups, shrubs, desserts, healthy and delicious beverages, medicinal oil blends, salves, tonics, digestive aids, health supplements, snacks, seasoning and spice mixes, tea blends, homemade vinegars, recipes for canning syrups and jelly, herbal honey, and much more! 

This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them). #thriftyDIYgifts