Friendships are the best!

Friendships are crucial! I was so happy when my bestie from childhood arrived with her husband and two cute little ones to South Carolina. We had such a blast eating, laughing, and catching up. I realized that friendship, true friendship is so vital to life. With so much going on now a days its great to have a friend who will always have your back. 

While we were all outside enjoying the beautiful SC weather, my friend mentioned that the mosquitoes here were very strong and she had a ton of bites. My husband and I both laughed and said yes, at own house they are quite ferocious. Thankfully, my resourceful Mom was there and heard her comment, the first things she said was, April! Get your friend some essential oils! I ran into the house and retrieved the lime oil along with some apricot oil as a carrier oil. 

My friend tried the oil and it worked! She was so happy and so were all the rest of us. Soon all of us were doused in oils and thankfully mosquito proof! That way her sweet kids could enjoy the animals and the rest of us could laugh and giggle at their cute kiddie ways. 

Having an organic and sustainable life can sometimes seem hard in this past paced world, but really it can be easy to gradually add simple things that make your life easier and healthier.  Essential oils has been a boon for my family, and each oil has so many remedies for everyday household needs. From Eucalyptus when you aren't feeling well, to Lavender when you just need to relax there are thousands of oils and you can specialize which oil you want to use based on your needs. This is just one of the ways that I keep my family healthy and happy. 





What are some things that you do to be healthy at home? 

The start of a new journey.......

Life takes you many places and is in a constant flux. And so my life has changed, I've gone from a traveling single woman to a married woman who is focused on things at home. With this recent change, I have become more and more involved in the homestead movement. On the future posts for this blog, I will be writing about how to have a more organic and sustainable lifestyle. Quick and easy tips that will transform your life and make it easier to be healthy in this fast paced society. 

While living in Munich, Germany I loved being able to get amazing beers. It was such a pleasure to be able to stop by the grocery and purchase beer for 70 cents and bottled in a glass too! When I returned home I was shocked by the high price for beer, and most of the beer lacked the flavor and artisan love that I found in Germany. So my frugal Ohio-ways came into play and I decided if the price is too high, just make it yourself. I was overwhelmed by the complexities of making beer so I turned to making a simple wine.Thinking about what flowers/herbs I had on hand at home I decided that I had tons of mint, and would make a mint wine. After doing some extensive research I created my own Delicious and Refreshing Mint Wine Recipe. 

Delicious and Refreshing Mint Wine Recipe. 

1. Boil a little over a gallon of water

2. Add Mint 2 cups worth.

3. Boil on a high for 30 minutes. 

4. Add 3 cups of sugar let cool.

5. Once cool add to a gallon container, and add your yeast.

6. Let it sit for 3-4 weeks then bottle and rack. 

I hope you enjoy this refreshing treat as summer turns into fall. You can create this wine with many different kinds of  herbs. Later I will post another recipe that I created using a medley of herbs. 

What kind of wine would you create? 

Falling in Love

Love is such a wonderful thing it just happens to you. When I visitied Zagreb in Croatia I didn't expect to fall in love with the city, but it happened instanteously as love so often does. 

When you are walking the streets you instantly feel as if you are on vacation the air is warm, breezy, and caresses you as walk. You can feel the sea is somewhere near, just waiting for you to visit. There are live musicians on the street jamming it out. And the sight of the stunning buildings catch your gaze. 

The people exude kindness and are always happy to help with a warm smile. Fashionable people strut by and show you how to wear three inch heels on a cobblestone road. 

My stay was accented by a fanastic stay at the hostel Main Sqauare The location was perfect right in the heart of the actiton. Everything was modern, new and expectional. The staff was gracious and kind, they wanted the guest to have the best possible  stay in their city. 

Did I mention the food? It was banging! Every meeal as flavorful and made with love. I swore that someones old grandma was throwing down in the kitchen, at every place I visited. I had some of the most expectional  food of my life. I fell in love with Croatia and hope that you will too.

What city have you visited that you instantly fell in love?