Issue #009, November 15, 2008. In This Issue...

--How a Play Day Could Change Your Life

--Stress Relief Tips For the Self Reliant Homesteader

--Honey Crockpot Cake - a Naturally Sweet Treat!

--Tips on Baking With Honey

--The Grain Mill - an Essential Homesteading Appliance

--A Homemade Body Balm to Nourish Your Skin

--Our Homesteading Index is Up and Running!

--The Composting Toilet - An Off the Grid, Clean Green Solution

Lots of great information in this one. So grab that nice cup of herbal tea, kick back and read on!

How a Play Day Could Change Your Life

Enter the internet. Like millions of other people, instead of looking in the yellow pages or the newspaper or calling a dozen people for advice, I am now searching the World Wide Web. It’s so fast and easy. It’s works internationally, so why not locally?

And boom! Just like that, I found a place that was ideal – a gymnastics training center that also had a large indoor playground. The kids loved it, and while we were there, students were practicing for a meet to be held that afternoon. My daughter was enthralled. She kept pleading with me to learn gymnastics. So on my way out, I grabbed a flyer with class times and rates.

So thanks to the internet, a local business in Oklahoma got business for a day and potential business for years to come (assuming my daughter’s enthusiasm lasts that long).

So why am I writing about this in a homesteading ezine? Because if you have a local business, the internet provides the potential to make it grow in ways you could never imagine. Have a pumpkin patch? Do you sell eggs or honey? With the right website, your business could grow exponentially.

And Site Build It offers a course that will give you the traffic you need. Click here to learn more.

Getting Stressed About the Holidays?

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and that means…

Cleaning, cooking, overeating, difficult relatives, and perhaps some stress.

And then after that comes Christmas, meaning…

More overeating, shopping, traffic, crowds, rising prices, and perhaps a bit more stress.

So just in time for the holidays, here are stress relief tips:

Identify the Stress

Do you get stressed out visiting relatives? Then give it some thought and figure out why. Is it because your Aunt Tilly is so critical? The best way to deal with stress is to eliminate its source, and while you can’t get rid of your aunt Tilly without going to jail for a long, long time, you can limit your visiting time.

Rescue Remedy

Bach’s Rescue Remedy is one of the most powerful stress-reducing formulas out there. Developed in the 1930’s it a safe, non-addictive formula that temporarily relieves stress. Even the medical community is starting to take notice of it. It won’t solve a long-term stressful situation, but it’s a great help in those high-stress moments.

Eat Right

Stress does all kinds of scary things to your body, including releasing dangerous free radicals into your body (think cancer - yech!), so give your body the best possible defense during these stressful times by eating plenty of raw fruits and vegetables. These not only supply valuable vitamins and minerals, but they also have lots of flavonoids – wonderful compounds that scavenge and neutralize those nasty free radicals. So include lots of raw broccoli, cauliflower and carrot sticks at your next family gathering to strengthen your body during those Aunt Tilly episodes.

Don’t Forget the Essential Oils

These are marvelously powerful and can do wonders for relieving stress. Never apply pure essential oils to your skin. Instead, dilute 20 drops of the essential oil in a cup of jojoba oil. Then apply the mixture to your skin. The oils will be absorbed in your bloodstream and providing calming relief. Ylang ylang will help you relax and promotes happiness. If you are agitated, geranium will soothe those nerves and relieve irritability, and lavender is both relaxing and good for insomnia.

Want more stress relief tips? Then click here to read more.

So What's New?

From the Homestead Kitchen

This Honey Crockpot Cake Recipe is a homestead treat, naturally sweet without the white sugar.

Baking with honey is a delicious and rewarding way to prepare sweets without the white sugar. Here are a few tips.

The Grain Mill is essential for the homesteading kitchen, not only for fabulous taste, but also for the best nutrition out there. Here are the different types of grain mills available.

This homemade balm recipe is a treat to the senses and an easy, frugal way to nourish dry skin.

Plus…

Going Off the Grid

The Composting Toilet – An Off the Grid, Clean, Green Solution The composting toilet is the homesteader's best friend, saving water and money. Here's how they work.

And as always, happy homesteading!