Mother Earth

It is always funny to me how old new age technology is. Hand-cranked gadgets go back a long time -- in fact, they predate electricity. However, there have been several new technologies made available that provide more modern hand-cranked, solar, and wind-powered products.

Off-grid living can take some getting used to, but there are all sorts of products, tools, and equipment to make the transition smoother.

Here are some of my favorite hand-cranked products.

The kids are back in school and the weather is getting cooler -- which brings a bounty of beauty, as well as cold and flu season. We all know what it feels like trying to sleep with a stuffy nose and chest congestion.

If you take a look at your average store bought vapor/chest rubs you will see many unnecessary ingredients on the list. The shorter the list of ingredients in your products the better, especially if you can pronounce them.

What Oils Should I Use?

Well here is where some of the fun gets to take place -- at least I think so!

As winter approaches there is a lot of work that has to be done in order to prepare. I usually start with the garden.

There is a myth surrounding acorns that states Acorns are poisonous and can’t be eaten! Acorns can be eaten, but you wouldn’t want to just pick one up and eat it. There’s a leaching process that must be done in order to make the acorns edible.

This essential oil has a very interesting back story. There are a few different versions of course, but that happens when a story is carried on for almost 10 centuries.

One of my favorite parts about living on a farm or off of the grid is getting to work with the animals. Chickens are usually the first animal people get on a farm – or sometimes even in a backyard.

There are literally hundreds of chicken breeds out there. You could look at pictures and decide which ones you want to raise according to looks but I recommend looking into some things. Important factors to consider when choosing a chicken:

Sustainable gardening is a green-gardening practice that is quickly increasing in modern popularity. The whole concept wrapped around the idea of sustainable gardening is eco-harmony. Sustainable gardening means working with nature and the environment, and not against it. By being conscious of how you impact the environment and preserve our earth’s resources when gardening, you are greatly contributing to the harmony and balance of this planet.

American beautyberry is also known as French mulberry, sour-bush, bunch-berry, and purple beautyberry. The berries grow all throughout the Southeastern USA. Funny enough, it’s actually the leaves and stems that have the most power in warding of bugs in this DIY spray.

In Chinese Meridian Theory there are 5 Elements and each Element corresponds to a time of the year. Now, we are in the season of Earth, the late summer time of year. These are the last few hot days of summer, which will soon be turning into autumn. The Earth Element is about being grounded.

The Autumn Equinox is one of my favorite seasonal transitions to experience. Don’t get me wrong – I love all of the seasons and I appreciate the changes, but Autumn is just the bee’s knees.