Hey, friend!
Can you believe September has come and gone already? Crazy, right!
It’s definitely starting to feel like fall here in the Tennessee mountains. The mornings are crisp and cool. The evenings are darker and filled with the sounds of crickets. I just love it! It makes me want to go pick apples, eat soup every day, and pull out the cozy sweaters that are packed away in my attic. Fall is my favorite season. I just love the changing colors of the leaves, the pumpkin everything, and the family holidays!
Today, I’m sharing another sneak peek into my life by sharing 5 things I’ve loved this past September with you. I’m also sharing some of my goals for October and telling you how I did meeting last month’s goals too. Be sure to check out the end of the post for that!
As always, thanks for letting me share bits of my life with you. Without you being here reading this blog and connecting with me in this place, this little piece of the web would be a lonely place! Thank you, mama!!
Favorite Herbal Product
This past month, the family and I took a trip to Washington D.C. for a little family vacation. Unfortunately, on the way up, I started feeling sick. Like, really sick. I had chills, body aches, and a sore throat. By the time we got there, I had a full blown fever, swollen tonsils, and some seriously aching joints. It seemed like classic strep throat symptoms to me so I knew I needed to get on top of this fast if I wanted to avoid the doctor’s office and antibiotics. The first thing that came to mind was echinacea for the possible bacteria in my throat and a lymphatic to help with drainage and clearing toxins out of my system.
I was so grateful to find a Whole Foods nearby that sold a wide variety of herbal supplements (like these from Gaia Herbs), and thanks to the Herbarium from the Herbal Academy, I knew what herb to substitute when I couldn’t find the one I was looking for!
Long story short, after about 24 hours of serious herbal therapy, I finally started to feel better… as in no more fever. It did take 2-3 more days of consistent use of these herbs for the swelling and pain in my throat to go away, but it did go away, praise the Lord! I can’t tell you how amazed I am at how our bodies work when they’re sick and how beneficial herbs can be in supporting they body during times like these!
Favorite Book
I’ve been enjoying reading bits and pieces of Judith Berger’s book – Herbal Rituals, here and there over the past two months. This book is written from a seasonal perspective which I love. Maybe it’s idealistic, but I’d love to incorporate more seasonal living into my life. I feel like I already do in a lot of ways, but there’s definitely more that could be done.
In this book, Judith talks about the various changes that come with each passing month such as the rhythms, cycles, and rituals that connect us to nature. She also highlights one herb in detail each month – what it’s like, how it grows, and what it does, and recipes on how to use it.
This book definitely makes me want to be more self-sufficient and to use the herbs that are growing around me all throughout the year. I’ve noticed that it pushes me to not only slow down and enjoy each season and what it has to offer but also to use what’s available to me as well. I’m so used to ordering herbs online (which is great, and I’ll still do), but knowing the plants that are at my doorstep and knowing how to use them to keep my family healthy is something I definitely want to learn more about!
Favorite Natural Product
Raise Them Well recently sent me some of their products to try out, and I must say… I’m super impressed. I’ve used some of their products here and there, and I’ve been happy with it all, especially with their zinc oxide.
I use zinc oxide quite a bit. In the summer months, I use it in my homemade sunscreen, but all throughout the year, I use it in the homemade diaper cream I make for my kiddo who’s still in diapers. Now, if you have a kid in diapers then you probably have an idea of how often diaper cream gets used and how quickly it disappears.
Up until this point, I’ve been buying non-nano zinc in bulk, but if you don’t need tons of it, the zinc oxide that is offered by Raise Them Well comes in an 8-ounce jar which is more than enough for several DIY skincare projects. Plus, it’s high-quality (non-nano, non-micronized, uncoated, lead-free) and affordable ($17.99). The next time I need a little zinc oxide for a DIY project and I’m out, I know where I can order it from!
Favorite Memory
Speaking of our trip to Washington D.C…. after I was feeling a lot better and our trip was almost over, we had the opportunity to get together with some long-time friends in Virgina on our way home. Friends, that have been through A LOT recently. Friends, that we don’t see often. Friends, that hold a special place in my heart!
We’ve known the Watts family for close to 15 years now. Dean and I first met them when we were 16. They were our “youth group” leaders, and they only had 2 kids then (they now have 5). They were such an influential part of our lives as we were growing up (mentoring me in particular through my rebellious high school days and uncertain college years), and much of how we do things in our family is a result of endless days spent by C’s side as she cooked healthy foods for her family, homeschooled the kids, and taught me what she was learning about being a Godly wife and mother. (Thank you for putting up with me, and listening to me, all those days, C. I now know just how busy you were!)
I feel so blessed that even though we were miles from home, home was near to us through this family. We were able to catch up a bit over delicious food on a restaurant rooftop, picking up with things as if we’d never left off. I love it, and I can’t wait to do it again!
Favorite Photo
Photography was my first hobby. At least that I can remember anyway.
My 35mm Canon Rebel was the first Christmas gift Dean ever bought me. An expensive gift at the time, especially for a young teenager who didn’t make more than minimum wage working a part-time job. He saved up and bought it for me so I could capture life and our relationship and scrapbook it all. I still have that old camera and all the photos I took with it. I don’t use it anymore, but I can’t get rid of it. As I look over the scrapbook of my and Dean’s dating years, I still remember each of those memories and of the fun we had togehter. We grew up together. We learned together. We had so many “firsts” together. I’m so glad he encouraged me to simply “take pictures,” and I’m grateful for that old camera.
Now, I have a newer Canon Rebel that I love. I’m still learning to take good photos, and this blog helps me do that. It’s a challenge at times (especially when it comes to food photography), but it’s something I enjoy. Thanks for letting me share it with you!
P.S. Doesn’t my hydrangea clipping look so beautiful? I think so! It makes me happy!
Goals To Shoot For In October
So, as expected, I didn’t meet all my goals last month. Not that I think my goals were too lofty or anything like that, but life happens and sometimes the things we want to do slip through the cracks. Thankfully, though, I did accomplish most of my goals, and that makes me happy! The only things I didn’t get done was get mums on my porch, start new tinctures, and make creme brulee (or buy cute ramekins). Oh well. Time to move on to a new month!
This October, I’d like to:
- Take Uriah on a Mother-Son date
- Take the boys to pick pumpkins
- Make a pumpkin pie from scratch (and the pumpkin pie spice and whipped cream topping too!)
- Get everything together for the boy’s Harvest Party/Halloween costumes
- Have family photos taken
- Order photos for picture frames in the house
- Make elderberry syrup
- Order more bottles and jars for remedies and skin care DIYs
I hope you have had a lovely September, friend! I want you to know that I’m over-the-top grateful for you and your presence here. Thank you for reading my posts, for sharing them on Facebook and Pinterest, and for chatting with me in the comments. It wouldn’t be the same without you!!!