Tag: Farm Life

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Homemade Fly Repellent Recipe

Homemade Fly Repellent Recipe

Now that we’ve added goats to our little Farm Sanctuary, I needed to create a Homemade Fly Repellent Recipe, pronto! We’re seeing more pests, hence the need for a safe & effective deterrent. I refuse to use toxic chemicals around our plants and livestock, so I scoured the internet in search of a safer, alternative to bug spray.

I alter everyday household products in order to make them organic and non-toxic, so here’s my version…

TOOLS

First of all, find a good MISTING Spray Bottle that can hold at least a cup so that you only have to make it occasionally. THIS is a good one that mists well which I found on Amazon. I also use one for a Homemade Room Freshener recipe I’ll share later.

You’ll also want a small colander to pour in your liquids without creating a mess.

INGREDIENTS

  • Fill your container up half-way with White Vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Liquid Soap (We use Doctor Bronner’s Peppermint Soap)
  • 10 drops each of Eucalyptus & Peppermint Essential Oil (you can substitute with your choice of EO’s but I found this combination to be pungent enough to keep the bugs away)
  • If you have it, add fresh Mint Leaves or Lemon Balm Leaves
  • Fill the rest of the bottle with Filtered Water

TO USE

Shake well before using. I spray about 6 pumps on Hind quarters and around Ears. I also spray down Chicken Nesting Boxes and all Sleeping Areas before bed.

What I’ve found is that it keeps the flies, mosquitoes and gnats away for a couple of hours. It’s all natural, smells good, affordable and can be used on animals and people. The type of soap we use is a trusted brand that can be safely used for body wash, hair, hands, dishes, etc. Safe around animals & people, also a good alternative to heavily scented soaps.

Watch our Instagram Stories today (will be saved to highlights) to see this in use around the Homestead!

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Why Homestead?

Why Homestead

When I first began talking about “Homesteading” I received many a side-eye. It’s a word that has been long forgotten and, in my circles, likely produced thoughts of old-world struggle. I didn’t quite grasp the concept when I had first witnessed its trend a few years ago after reading of families who escaped the corporate world to live in debt-free tiny homes, or ladies on Instagram hunting down Sarah Ban Breathnach’s book “Simple Abundance”. However, there was something gripping me as well, I can’t quite explain where it came from. Perhaps it was the call from my ancestors to slow down and reconnect with my spirit. I read blogs about crating Hygge, Urban Farming and Cottagecore, so I tried dipping my toes in and see how it felt to create instead of consume.

 

I dipped my fingers into the earth and replaced flower beds with herbs. I bought into a CSA and learned to cook our meals from scratch. We bought a Berkey water filter. I baked bread, fermented krauts and reconnected my spirit with the earth. It felt as though we were in alignment for the first time in many years. And instead of our typical tropical vacation, that following summer we rented out a 100 acre ranch in the Ojai Valley for a couple of weeks where we were surrounded by horses, goats, chickens and cows.

 

I think that sealed the deal.

 

I had been longing for the countryside where I grew up, and Tony was able to feel the peace and fulfillment of a working farm. Although it wasn’t easy, the slower pace filled us both with hope for a more relaxing future.

 

Homesteading.

 

The word that felt foreign and absurd just four years ago, became a motto of sorts. When things unfolded in 2020, I understood the call. Someone or something deep within had given me the gift – implanting a desire I never knew I could have. It’s so hard to explain, however I feel that there are no coincidences. It brought us here to this little slice of heaven in the South.

 

To some, its a calling to go off grid, to hunt, prep and live off the land. To me, it’s about growing whole, organic foods, breathing in the fresh air, witnessing four seasons, drinking clean water, peace & quiet and the freedom to be who we want to be. Without anxiety-filled careers, city traffic, black tie affairs or pharma-pushing doctor appointments.

 

Homesteading equals Freedom in my eyes.

 

You can catch more of our slow-living journey and daily LIVE stories on Instagram RIGHT HERE.