Seed Balls — a good winter project

Homemade seed balls are a clever way to sow seeds (single species or a mix) without digging.  It’s inexpensive, easy and you can cover a lot of ground.  They are just scattered onto the soil surface, not buried.  Then they just sit there, ensconced in their mud-and-compost ball until it rains, safe from birds, rodents,  drying out, and they won’t blow away.  They are especially useful in areas with unpredictable rainfall.  If there’s no rain, the seeds just sit there and wait. When enough rain falls to soften the balls (usually 3-5”), the seeds sprout.  The clay and compost work together, as the clay is good at

72 Hour Kit is Essential for Any Emergency

How to Store Grains for up to 25 years

These are troubling times indeed with economic, climatic, and social upheavals and wild gyrations of every type in every corner of our planet. Although I would not specifically ever rate myself as a “survivalist” I do believe in being prepared for any eventuality: One of the most important factors towards this type of preparation is to ensure that there is an adequate food supply to last out any emergency, whether short- or long-lived.

Hot water for free–from the wood cook stove!

^{Original post from http://sustainablepreparedness.com}
One of the most multi-purpose tools on the homestead is a wood cook stove.  Ours not only cooks the food and keeps the house toasty warm; it also heats our hot water!
The two main components, aside from the wood cook stove, are a water coil (#6 & #7 on the pictures below) which is a pipe that runs through the fire box to heat the water, and a range boiler (picture on left) which is a large tank that holds the hot water before and after it circulates through the wood cook stove.

Active vs Passive

There are a couple of variations on the “hot water from your wood stove” scene.  One involves the use of an inline electric circulating pump to force water through the water coil; the other uses the simple principle of heat rising to accomplish the same thing.  It is called a thermosiphon system.  “Active” systems (using an electric pump) have some advantages, but in the opinion of this writer, not enough to offset their negatives for most people.  An active system can produce as much as 50% more hot water than a passive (thermosiphon) system, and since more water movement takes place, there is less chance of water overheating and creating dangerous pressure levels.  But anytime you unnecessarily involve a mechanical or electric device in essential systems, you are asking for trouble.  For instance, if electricity is lost during winter, you would have to potentially shut the wood stove down or dismantle the hot water system to prevent dangerously high temperatures and pressures.  And some inline pumps have a poor reputation for reliability.  Even if you are on a renewable energy system with a very efficient DC inline pump, it still uses electricity throughout the day while the stove is running, and that can add up.  Bottom line?  Whenever possible, keep it simple and go with a thermosiphon system!  And that is what we are going to focus on in this post.

Mint Tin Mini Survival Kit

Delicious Lip Balm Recipe

Makes 1 1/2 ounces

• 4 tsp grated Beeswax
• 8 tsp Coconut Oil, melted
• 6 tsp  Apricot Kernel Oil
• 7 drops Sweet Orange Oil 
• 7 drops Lemon Essential Oil
  You can choose any essential oil of your choice to suit your mood….enjoy ! I tend to pick citrus blends because they are so uplifting.

In a double boiler combine:Beeswax
Coconut Oil
Apricot Kernel Oil
Gently melt over low heat until everything is liquid and stir to combine.
Remove from the heat and stir in the essential oils.
Carefully pour into lip balm empty lip tubes and allow them to set up firmly for one hour.

Beeswax Yellow Honeywax Pearls (1 lbs)

10 Black 0.15 oz. Lip Balm Empty Containers

Sweet Orange 100% Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil- 10 ml

 Lemon Essential Oil. 10 ml. 100% Pure, Undiluted, Therapeutic Grade.

Primitive Water Purification Do It Yourself Project

Once you find water, a major issue remains: is it pure? Is it drinkable? And if not, how to make it drinkable?

In today’s world this is a much more complex issue than it was previously. Just 20 years ago in Canada you could still drink water from the streams, rivers, and lakes in the north — for example, in northern Ontario, including northern Lake Huron and the Bruce Peninsula. However, the spread of Giardia in recent years has greatly increased the risk of drinking water straight from these sources.

Natural Inks

Knowing how to make natural inks is a prepping skill that everyone should know. In the months or years after SHTF you are going to need to know how to make these ink pigments so that written communication still continues on. Also using natural surroundings and plants to create pigment, you can learn to make dyes for clothing and other needs. Here is one example of how to make ink. mind you there are hundreds of ways to do it, and veggies and herbs/flowers to use.

How to Make Homemade Dog Wormer

If you are a dog owner, then you are probably concerned about your dog getting worms. Because worms such as heart worms can be deadly, making sure your dog doesn’t get worms is critical. Unfortunately, many of the chemical remedies provided by your veterinarian are also not good for your dog–in fact, they’re poisons. Here is how to make one type of homemade dog wormer.

 

Homemade Mouthwash

minty mouthwash recipe
1 cup distilled, filtered, or boiled water
2-3 drops peppermint essential oil
Mix together in a clean container. Shake before each use. Do not swallow. Store in a dark cupboard or medicine cabinet. (sunlight causes essential oils to lose their potency)

orange spice mouthwash recipe
1 cup distilled, filtered, or boiled water
3 drops clove essential oil
2 drops cinnamon essential oil
2 drops orange essential oil
1 drop ginger essential oil
Mix together in a clean container. Shake before each use. Do not swallow. Store in a dark cupboard or medicine cabinet. (sunlight causes essential oils to lose their potency)