GRANDMA'S Blog

Crisp nights are slowly creeping in. Grandma is decorating her home with cozy accents to ring in the season.

There are many ways to decorate your living space in the colors and feeling of Fall, from DIY wall hangings to “Happy Fall Y'all” banners. Today, Grandma is sharing a few classics you can create at home.

Photo: The View From Here

DIY Fall Leaf décor

Grandma loves using leaves that are in the color changing phase, as they turn from the bright greens to the browns, yellows and orange. You can create wall hangings, pictures, decorate vases and more. Grandma likes to use the leaves on a canvas, layering the leaves on top of one another to create a “3D” painting that hangs in her living room. Putting dried leaves in a glass vase with scented pinecones is also a beautiful way to spruce up a table or add some scent to a guest room or hallway.

Photos from Coffe.net and True Inspiration Daily

Tea Candles

This is a fun way to add a fall scent and ambiance lighting to a room! Coffee beans and vanilla scented tea candles team up for this simple and creative Fall decoration. All you need are tea candles and a container with enough room around the edges for coffee beans. Grandma likes to have about ½ inch of beans depth around the candle. Light the candle, and you have a cute scented candle to add to any room!

Small pumpkins can also serve as decorative tea light holders. Simply cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin for enough space to hold a tea light. Next, remove the pumpkin filling and seeds. Lastly, dry out the interior of the pumpkin with a napkin. Add your tea light to your mini pumpkin and you are done!

Pumpkin Vase

The pumpkin has long been a staple of fall décor. Who new making it into a vase would be the perfect pumpkin craft! To make a pumpkin into a beautiful vase, first cut a large hole in the top, and scoop out all the seeds. Now, dry out the interior using paper towels or a blow dryer and voila, you have a beautiful vase that doubles as a centerpiece of the Fall season!

Don’t forget that Grandma’s Grime Away is great for clean-up after a crafting! Grandma’s Grime Away Bar was inspired by hardworking crafting hands. Simple clean-up that doesn’t dry out skin keeps you ready for a day a crafting.

There are many ways to decorate your home for Autumn. Grandma would like to encourage you to create holiday traditions that will make your home beautiful and your hearts full!

Fall is here and the crisp nights are slowly creeping in.

There is no better way to enjoy the changing of the leaves and cool breeze than to cozy up with a nice hot cup of tea. There are many varieties of tea to enjoy, but with fall in mind Grandma has a few flavors that truly bring the spirit of the season to your home.

Apple Cranberry Tea

Spiced Tea

Many of us think of Pumpkin Spiced Latte’s when Fall rolls around, but Grandma remembers a holiday classic. Spiced tea fills the house with a holiday aroma. Chai tea is a type of spiced tea, but it shouldn’t be confused with a Chai Tea Latte which has espresso. We have a great recipe from the Food Network, below.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 4 cups water, the cloves and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil, and then remove from the heat. Add the orange peels, orange juice, and tea bags, and cover. Allow steeping for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the honey. Pour into mugs and serve.

Apple Tea

Fall invites warm and cozy feelings, and the perfect tea is a great start to finding enjoyment right at home! Grandma likes to spend her fall crocheting sweaters and hats for her grandkids for winter while sipping on her favorite tea. She uses her Grandma’s Knitters and Crocheter’s Hand Soother Lotion she can stay moisturized without the greasy feeling most lotions leave. No one likes greasy fingers while trying to knit or enjoying hot tea!

Explore the benefits and restorative properties of lye soap. Our mission is to provide a natural product that nurtures skin rather than strip it of natural oils. Our top ten frequently asked questions address the ingredients, soap making process, and benefits of GRANDMA’S Lye Soap.

ONE: Does GRANDMA’S Lye Soap have any additives?

GRANDMA’S Lye Soap is made with only three ingredients: food grade lard, lye and water. There are no detergents, fragrances, dyes or other additives to irritate sensitive skin, and it retains 100% of the natural glycerin created during the soap making process.

TWO: Why are additives in other soaps harmful to skin?

Chemicals to enhance fragrance are a large part of what makes other soaps potentially harmful. Harmful chemicals that are meant to produce pleasant scents can cause skin rashes or migraine headaches. Triclosan has been banned and sodium lauryl sulfate and other surfactants are common soap ingredients, which create a stronger lather and help the soap rid your hands and body of bacteria. These ingredients can irritate skin and disrupt the endocrine system. 

THREE: Can lye soap burn or harm skin?

GRANDMA’S Lye Soap is NOT harmful to skin. Soap making involves a chemical process where lye and oils are combined in exact amounts to form soap. This process is called saponification. Once curing is complete, the soap will have no traces of lye.

FOUR: Is GRANDMA’S Lye Soap a vegan product?

No, GRANDMA’S Lye Soap is not a vegan product. Our soap is made with lard. Vegan soaps are made from fats or oils of vegetable origin.

FIVE: Why does GRANDMA’S use lard (pig fat) when most soap is made with tallow (beef fat)?

Pig and human DNA are very similar. For years physicians have used pig heart valves for human heart valve replacement. Pig skin bandages have saved may burn victims’ lives and help to relieve pain. Lard is more conditioning and has restorative properties than tallow.

SIX: Does GRANDMA’S Lye Soap relieve symptoms of dry, itchy skin?

GRANDMA’S Lye Soap has no detergents, dyes, fragrance or other additives. Unlike ordinary soaps that contain detergents and other additives, GRANDMA’S Lye Soap won’t strip precious natural oils from your skin.

SEVEN: Is GRANDMA’S Lye Soap safe to use for children?

GRANDMA’S Lye Soap is safe for babies and children’s tender skin. Our mild, rich lathering bar contains no detergents, dyes or fragrance to irritate tender skin. Our GRANDMA’S Baby Bar, fortified with Calendula Oil, is another alternative for use on smaller children. 

EIGHT: Why is GRANDMA’S Non-Detergent Laundry Soap better than regular detergent?

Detergents remove oils from clothes, including the natural oils produced by your own skin. Surfactants in detergent are the main agents that strip away oils, an action that can seriously irritate the skin. GRANDMA’S Non-Detergent Laundry Soap contains no detergents, dyes or fragrance to irritate sensitive skin.

NINE: Why should I buy GRANDMA’S Non-Detergent Laundry Soap over earth friendly laundry soaps?

There's no federal standard and no required verification for terms such as "earth friendly". This means there is no guarantee the product is less harmful, better for skin or even better for the environment.

TEN: Why does my dog want to eat GRANDMA’S Lye Soap? Is it harmful?

Many dogs seem to be attracted to all natural soaps, whether it is because of the oils or fragrances that are used. Typically, diarrhea is the only result from the pet eating the soap. However, if you have any concerns, don’t hesitate to consult with your doctor.

Did you know that certain scents trigger different feelings in humans?

Our noses may not be as sensitive as most animals, as we only have around five million five million receptor cells in our nose compared to 200 million in dogs. However, our noses trigger memories and emotions.

Did you know that spraying certain scents in your room before you fall asleep can help you have better dreams or that putting scents in your office can help with focus? Scents are a powerful yet easy way we can aid our daily lives! Relaxation, focus, and mental clarity are just a few of the ways certain scents can help you. There are many combinations of scents that work in harmony to bring together many effects at once!

September HERBAL OF THE MONTH: JASMINE

This herbal bar was inspired by luxury and relaxation. The Jasmine Herbal Bar feels like summer nights, a cool breeze and falling asleep under the stars.

Jasmine is a widely used scent across the globe, and it has been described in many ways such as warm with oily leafy-green, fruity undertones, elusive, sweet and warm and many more! Jasmine is a popular scent choice for perfumes and oils as it is both delicate and sweet while packing a robust punch. Lighter scents like rose wish they had the undertones of Jasmine. Loved by many, jasmine invokes memories of summer evenings and cool breezes.

Scents have the power to transport us and change our moods! With such a wide variety of herbal scents, Grandma chose 12 of her favorite, and offers 1 each month at a special price! Grandma’s Herbal of the month club is a way for you to try a new herbal bar every month at a discounted price. There are many scents to try, and each of them specializes in something different from the last. 

Grandma’s soaps are made with the best quality and care in mind, so you always get great quality products that are safe to use and gentle on skin! Grandma uses natural ingredients and oils in her soaps for a pure, clean feeling each time. Grandma’s Herbal Sampler is a great way to try all of her herbal soaps in one package! Each bar of herbal soap in the sampler is a sample size, enough for a few uses to determine your favorite! Order one today if you are unsure that that Jasmine is your herbal soap. Try Grandma’s Beauty Set as well, which comes with two different herbal soaps (of your choosing) as well as her Goat’s Milk Beauty Bar!

Grandma knows we all forget to water the plants from time to time. There are countless trashcans filled with the corpses of a beautiful houseplant left to fend for itself for too long!

Ours days have become busier and our schedules jam packed, it’s no wonder that we forget something like watering plants. Grandma has compiled a list of 5 plants that are beautiful accents to your home or office space, but require little care. Some plants can be left alone for months without repercussion!

Not only are these plants resilient, many of them have other attributes that make them a practical and beneficial addition to your home!

Snake Plant

The snake plant is popular for many because it is hardy and doesn’t need much water. It even can grow happily in a room without windows! Sporting deep green lines and long sprouts, this plant is not out of place in most homes. The snake plant also cleans the air at night, making it a perfect addition to your bedroom!

Spider Plant

The Spider Plant is another animal named plant, but not because it attracts spiders thankfully. This hearty plant grows long leaves that are light green in color. Low light, no problem! The spider plant’s only real concern is watering it with distilled water, as the roots don’t do well with fluoride found in most water sources in the US.

ZZ Plant

The ZZ is the uncrowned king of the forget-about-it houseplants. It shows its resilience by having leaves many have thought to be plastic! Needing light water and moderate light, this plant can be left at home while you’re on vacation and does just fine without attention.

Crown of Thorns

This plant is a break from what we have told you thus far. The Crown of Thorns plant has red flowers that look beautiful and have a vibrant color. Crown of Thorns only needs a misting of water every few days to stay optimally healthy and happy. If only low maintenance beauty was this easy for the rest of us.

Philodendron

The Philodendron has big flat green leaves that are a great accent! Needing only light watering weekly, the Philo is a beautiful addition to your home that won’t cause you stress if you are too busy to water it daily.

Prayer Plant

This unique plant gets its name from a fun thing it does at night, where it will fold the leaves together like hands in prayer! Praying aside, this plant is very tough and resilient! Indirect sunlight is best. Simply keep the soil moist but not soaked and you’re set. Follow these steps for a happy and beautiful Prayer Plant!

Grandma is an experienced gardener, but knows not everyone has a green thumb. She hopes you love these new additions to your home. They will fill your home with natural air cleaners and help you relax throughout the day. Grandma suggests trying her herbal bars to keep yourself in a green mood all the time! You can also purchase her Grime Away Bar that was inspired by getting her hands dirty in the garden.

Labor Day weekend is great time to show off your grilling skills!

There is nothing wrong with a classic burger, but Grandma would like to challenge you to try something different! Whether you go healthy and green or meaty and lean, these recipes are sure to have your guests coming back for seconds.

Try Grandma’s #LBBurgerChallenge this weekend. Simply try your hand at one of the recipes below and use hashtag #LBBurgerChallenge to show off your masterpiece!

Black Bean Burger Recipe courtesy of FreePeople.com

This vegan and gluten free burger is healthy and easy to make, on top of being delicious!

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Tex-Mex Burger with Cajun Mayo Recipe courtesy of AllRecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Preheat grill for medium-high heat. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the ground sirloin, jalapeño pepper, onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce using your hands. Divide into 4 balls, and flatten into patties. Lightly oil the grilling surface, and place the patties on the grill. Cook for about 5 minutes per side, or until well done. During the last 2 minutes, lay a slice of cheese on top of each patty. Spread the seasoned mayonnaise onto the insides of the buns. Put burgers in the buns, and top with lettuce and tomato to serve.

Chicken Avocado Burger Courtesy of Delish.com

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

We hope you enjoy a well deserved day off! If you are going to be outdoors, don’t forget to use Grandma’s Don’t Bug Me Bar to keep the mosquitoes from biting.

Grandma knows that when you tend a garden, it will yield bountiful vegetation.

This lesson has taught her giving back to our environment can be an accumulation of small actions.

“While it may seem small, the ripple effects of small things is extraordinary.” Matt Bevin

We as humans impact the planet in big ways. The five “R’s” help us remember how to positively impact our environment with simple choices. These are all things you can start doing right away that greatly help Earth thrive.

R – Recycle: This is a great way you can help save energy and emissions! Items made from recycled goods need less energy to be created and wasted. Our garbage filling landfills is a terrible sight, and recycling saves on waste and helps many companies create goods from things we use every day. Note: read the recycling rules in your area, many of us accidentally throw things in the recycling bin that can’t be recycled.

R – Re-purpose: Give that old glass container new life, with a new purpose! We can save a lot of carbon dioxide from being produced by re-using glass products at home. Making a vase, using it as kitchen storage and change storage, the possibilities are endless! This doesn’t only apply to glass, we can re-purpose many things in our home instead of throwing it away.

R – Reuse: Every year, we lose 20 million trees to make paper cups. That is a lot of trees! Grandma suggests using reusable mugs and thermos’ to lower this number, which reduces carbon emissions and saves trees, which lots of species use for homes. Grandma keeps a mug at her work desk, and in the car.

R – Reduce: Hang drying your laundry can lessen your carbon footprint by upwards of 2,400 pounds a year! The smell of hang dried laundry reminds Grandma of the good ol’ days. A “carbon footprint” is the measure of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere via our daily activities. Buying locally sourced food also helps reduce your carbon footprint, and a very simple change is to replace incandescent light bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent or LED bulbs.

R – Refuse: This is the last R, and a fun one! Refuse plastic bags at the grocery store. Did you know it takes at least 1,000 years for a plastic bag to degrade? Next time at the grocery store, take a reusable tote! Refusing to use paper products you don’t need can also help, such as plastic straws, flyers handed out in public (if you aren’t planning on reading it) and paper cups. Refusing unnecessary paper products can lead to less manufacturing and a healthier Earth!

Shop Grandma’s Lye Soap

The school year is upon us! Crazy mornings and schedules will start to weigh on parents quickly.

As your calendar starts brimming at the seams, be sure to take time to relax. How you choose to recharge your batteries is personal. You know what renews your spirit. Why not put those activities on your calendar?

Planning out how to relax gives you time to schedule a sitter, make a reservation, pre-order what you need or ask someone to carpool.

You don’t have to know exactly what you’re going to do in advance. Instead, Grandma recommends putting place holders and reminders into your calendar. These five simple calendar reminders can keep you from burning out.

Get Enough Sleep | Daily Reminder

Set a daily alarm that lets you know when it’s time for bed. Give yourself enough time to put the kids to bed. This is some of the easiest advice to give, but following it can be a different story. From work schedules to life stresses, getting enough sleep isn’t always as simple as turning off the lights. Grandma recommends doing some light stretching before bed to help your muscles relax.

Eat Well | Weekly Grocery Shopping Trip

Stopping for fast food is too easy. Try adding a recurring calendar reminder to stop by the store to pick up groceries. Grandma knows a healthy, balanced diet can help you manage your stress and give you plenty of energy to last throughout the day. Healthier diets also help you fight off illnesses. Let’s face it, there are no sick days for Mom.

Be Good to Your Skin | Daily Regiment

Try setting a calendar reminder that reminds you to take care of you. It could be scheduling a facial each month or a simple reminder to re-order your favorite products. From keeping your skin moisturized and clean to using proper sun protection, taking care of your skin now can save you from facing problems later in life.

Let Loose | Monthly Activity

The best way to thank yourself is to do something you love without feeling guilty. Place some time in your calendar to let loose how ever you choose once a month. Getting to do something you really want to do can help your stress levels drop and put your mind in a mood of enjoyment.

Be Good to Your Body | Weekly Routine

Light exercise and stretching can do a lot for your body, from keeping your muscles active and strong to joint health! You don’t have to overthink working out. It could be as simple as setting a reminder to go on a walk as a family a few times a week.

Making time for yourself to relax keeps your ready for life’s challenges. When you take the time to take care of your body and mind, they will take care of you.

Be good to you! Try Grandma’s Beauty Set as part of your weekly skincare regiment.

What is it?

Lavender or lavandula is a genus of 47 known species of flowering plants in the mint family. Lavender originated from the Latin word “lavare”, which means “to wash”. Today, Lavender continues to be cultivated across many countries worldwide.

What are its benefits?

Lavender has been used for thousands of years! The Romans used Lavender to scent their baths, beds, clothes and hair and discovered its medicinal properties. The flowers can even be placed in cabinets and closets to deter moths.

How is it typically used?

Lavender has many uses. The infusion of its oil is claimed to soothe and heal insect bites, sunburns, small cuts, burns, inflammatory conditions and acne. The oil can also be applied to the forehead/temple region to calm headaches, migraines and motion sickness.
The dried leaves and stalks of the lavender plants are often used around homes and business’ for their long-lasting scent. They also often mixed with other plants and oils to create freshening room sprays.

Lavender also has many uses in the culinary world. The buds and greens are used in many recipes throughout history. They are still used today in honeys, teas and lots of baked goods.
Grandma’s has taken this herbal plant and made one of her most popular herbal soap, Lavender-Mint! We love this combination so much, we have put together a few home-made recipes for this powerful plant!

Lavender Perfume
Before outlining the recipe, keep in mind that essential oils are highly concentrated. Small percentage of people with sensitive skin could experience irritation from essential oils. Before making this perfume, perform a small spot test somewhere on your skin.
 
First, you’ll want to have a carrier on hand. A carrier oil is used to dilute strong essential oils to make them safe to apply to the body. Something like coconut oil or jojoba oil would work fine. Be sure that it has a neutral smell, as you don’t want it to clash harshly or go bad in a few weeks.
 
The oils, and their quantities, are:

• 4 drops of lavender
• 2 drops of orange
• 2 drops of lemon

 
This recipe offers a combination of floral and citrusy notes. Mix the oils with 0.5 oz of your carrier oil and store in a glass bottle or roller ball applicator. Roll it up in a nice bottle and cute bag, and you have an excellent gift for your friends and family for any occasion!

Lavender 3-Ingredient Lotion
This DIY lotion is easy to make and uses common ingredients so you will spend less time looking around for them. In just 10-15 you will have your own lavender lotion that you are sure to love.

• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1 tbsp beeswax
• 5 drops lavender essential oil

Hiding your scent is a very crucial detail in hunting, as nearly every animal we hunt has a vastly superior sense of smell!

Grandma’s BIG BUCK kit is helping hunters prepare for the season.  Deer can smell up to six different scents at once and learn to associate the human smells with danger! The new BIG BUCK kit has soap and non-detergent laundry soap that will clean your skin and clothing to ensure no scents stand out.

The food you’ve eaten and the places you’ve been in the past 48 hours can leave scents that you will not notice but will scare deer away! Grandma’s BIG BUCK kit ensures your skin and clothing are naturally treated to mask your scent. If you can mask your scent by 50%, you have given the deer the illusion that you are 50% farther away than you actually are! Give yourself and advantage by distorting the deer’s sense of distance.

In order to achieve these type of results it is important to wash your hunting clothes the night before you go on a hunt. Grandma’s BIG BUCK non-detergent laundry soap removes scents from clothing in a single wash cycle. Hunters save time with BIG BUCK as other traditional scent hiding wash methods take hours of soaking. Those seeking to go above and beyond can place their freshly washed clothes into a bag with grass/sticks from the area where they will be hunting. This goes one step further to decrease your chances of being noticed by your prey. Grandma’s BIG BUCK kit is safe for even sensitive skin types.
Fun Fact: While Grandma’s BIG BUCK kit is natural and powerful, it cannot mask your most powerful scent – your breath. For a natural approach take a bite out of nature’s bad breath killer, an apple!

Grandma also recommends carrying her DON’T BUG ME BAR and POISON IVY BAR in your hunter’s first aid kit. The Don’t Bug Me Bar has no DEET! That’s right, it is an effective and natural alternative to DEET products.  This means no unusual smells to make your scent profile smell unusual to animals.

The Don’t Bug Me Bar will keep mosquitoes and other bugs away from you so can focus entirely on the hunt! Grandma also has a Poison Ivy Bar to help fight the pain from poison ivy and poison oak plants. There is nothing worse than brushing up against poison ivy. The subsequent rash and itch are a nightmare for everyone. Grandma’s Poison Ivy Bar helps soothe the pain of the rash so you can enjoy the hunt.