17 Homemade Spice Mixes {with Recipes & Why You Should Use Them!}

17 Homemade Spice Mixes

By Erin Odom, Contributing Writer Are you working to ditch processed foods and put more real food on the table? We're running a series called Real Food Made Simple: A Beginner's Guide to Eating Better. Our goal is to answer the questions you might have and make the transition a whole lot easier! Even before I started cooking from scratch, I started making my own homemade spice mixes. At first, it was out of pure laziness. I don't like to shop. Even before I had [...]

Winter Giveaway Week: Natural Skincare Products from Essential Lotions {5 winners!}

butters

Here at Keeper of the Home, we love promoting small businesses that offer quality natural care products at an affordable price to our readers. And Essential Lotions does just that. Going above and beyond in the natural skincare realm, Essential Lotions actually adds therapeutic grade essential oils to their already high quality natural lotions. Each product is formulated to give quick, effective results. Products include: Facial Lotions--including formulas for cleansing, hydrating, fighting blemishes and combating wrinkles! Lotions--with specific formulas to aid in sleep, energy and pain [...]

Winter Giveaway Week: Win 1 of 3 Gift Certificates to Apple Valley Natural Soap

basil mint shampoo bar

There are very few things that I would consider important enough to put in the crazy expensive FedEx package that we're having shipped to Argentina. My Apple Valley Shampoo Bars? They made the cut. Seriously, I am in love with my shampoo bars. Back in the summer, I made a massive order from Apple Valley Natural Soap, buying enough shampoo bars, a few regular body soap bars, and our favorite healing herbal salve to last for the entire year that we'll be traveling. Every few [...]

Finger Knitting: The Perfect Winter Craft for All Ages

How to finger knit

By Mandi, Contributing Writer We recently discovered finger knitting and my 7- and 8-year-old daughters are having so much fun knitting these fluffy yarn ropes. This is a cozy winter craft and also a great activity for road trips, time spent in waiting rooms and more. And it's so easy to do: Start by holding the end of your yarn tightly between your thumb and first finger. Then begin weaving the yarn over and under your fingers. When you get to your pinky, wrap the [...]

Simple Roast Chicken (And Fabulous Side Dish Recipes!)

roastchicken

Guest Post by Beth of Red and Honey Are you working to ditch processed foods and put more real food on the table? This month we're continuing a series called Real Food Made Simple: A Beginner's Guide to Eating Better. Our goal is to answer the questions you might have and make the transition a whole lot easier! I was a starry-eyed young bride at the tender age of nineteen, and the day we unpacked cardboard boxes in our wee bachelor suite I was in [...]

Simple Steps to Begin Cooking Homemade: Baked Goods

Simple Steps to begin Cooking Homemade: Baked Goods

By Contributing Writer Brandy Ferguson If you missed the first post in the Simple Steps to Begin Cooking Homemade series, we talked about some essential pantry staples that will help you get started cooking from scratch. And this month, we're discussing one of the most obvious, and probably one of our most favorite aspects of cooking homemade - baking! I'd always loved to bake, and as we began to have children, I realized more and more the importance of using simpler ingredients.  Even if I [...]

Food Is Not Cheap: 4 Steps to Budgeting in Real Food

budgeting_in_food

By Diana, Contributing Writer Are you working to ditch processed foods and put more real food on the table? This month we're running a series called Real Food Made Simple: A Beginner's Guide to Eating Better. Our goal is to answer the questions you might have and make the transition a whole lot easier! Budget Friendly Tips! How To Save Money on Real Food! How to Eat Real Food for Cheap!  These are just some of the topics coming at us from every direction these [...]

Safe Bath Products for Kids

Safe bath products for kids

Written by Kate Tietje, Contributing Writer When I was expecting my first baby, I bought so much stuff.  Some of what I bought was all the "usual" baby care products -- shampoo, baby wash, baby lotion, and so on.  All of that stuff makes babies smell so good! Then, when my daughter was a few months old, I was putting on her baby lotion after her bath one night and I watched an angry, red rash appear immediately. Wow! We never used that lotion again. [...]