The Winner of the Giveaway!!!!

For those of you who have never used rafflecopter..... if you every have a giveaway I highly recommend it. You create your original post and then literally rafflecopter does the rest...... they even collaborated with random.com to choose a winner.... all I had to do was click a button that says choose a winner!?!? Couldn't be easier. Thank you so much for taking the time to enter the giveaway. If you want to keep receiving information on MORE AWESOME GIVEAWAYS please send me a quick e-mail to infinitedabbler@gmail.com subject heading GIVEAWAYS and I will save and e-mail you only with giveaway information. All information will stay with me.... no third party mailing.


Thank you again! I hope to see you back here soon!


Check out the post to see if you won!



Winner is announced HERE!

Beekeeping, Just Starting Out Checklist

Hey everyone, welcome, welcome, welcome. Today I am all excited because it is almost time for BEE SEASON!!! Didn't y'all know? Winter, Bee Season, More Bee Season, Fall. Now you know, let's move on. I have a bunch of friends that come to me and say....." How do I get started keeping bees?" If you have ever had bees then inevitably you receive TONS of questions by people just baffled and completely in awe. SO I am here to tell you exactly what you absolutely need to get started. **Note this is not for a top bar hive set-up**

1. Before you even get started I recommend sourcing a local beekeepers association and attending meetings and maybe even find a mentor :) Normally, you can find them at your local university extension office, or Google. 
2. Source a bee supplier. These folks do not have bees for sale year round and a lot of them won't ship them to you..... also asking at the beekeepers association meetings on their sources is good.
3. Supplies:               

• bee suit 
• veil and hat (IF you do not have a full body bee suit) ((not a veil you get married in, this one is much less fashion and much more function. ))
• hive tool
• brood boxes (2) these are the large boxes that the bees will use all winter long
• honey supers (2) these are the boxes that will be added for the collection of honey
• bottom board this is the bottom of the hive  
• inner cover is on top of the hive before the top cover ...so the hive has essentially two lids, but both are needed so don't skip out
• top cover is the very top lid and the one you will see when the hive is all closed up
• frames for the brood boxes (10 per box) so 20 for both brood boxes
• frames for the honey supers (10 per box) so 20 for both honey supers.....**note: most people only use 9 frames in the honey supers HOWEVER... having two extra frames on hand is not space consuming or a bad idea.**
• hive brush
• plastic caddy to carry your tools to the hive with you
• sweat headband, bandana or hanky ( that suit in the middle of summer (aka More Bee Season) gets HOT!!!!!
• queen excluder this keeps the queen from going up into your honey supply and laying eggs in it (Sorry your Majesty I like my eggs from a chicken)
• smoker and cool smoke materials
• matches or lighter to light above listed smoke
• foundation (some people like beeswax, some like plasticell...... I personally don't use any)
• entrance reducer to leave a smaller opening when the bees are in for the winter, it discourages mice and other small vermin.

     4. I prefer to order the hive boxes and frames not assembled. There are a few reasons for this 1.) It gives my husband a task ..... that honey do list is never finished :) 2.) It helps you check the boxes and frames for any mis-cuts or issues with the wood.... you can never be too observant.

     5. You will need to get some paint. I always scour the mistint section at the local depot for some cheap latex paint. However, if you are super fickle I recommend a color coding system to not only keep your pieces straight but, to fulfill the need to have order :)

     6. Once you have assembled your hives, you need to paint the outsides of the boxes. DO NOT PAINT THE INSIDES OF THE BOXES!!!!!  Why, Kay? Because I freaking said so ... the bees like a natural wood and the only reason you are painting is because you are protecting the outsides from the elements.... nobody wants flecks of paint in their honey. So, just don't do it.

      7.  Once everything is dried you can assemble and enjoy a job well done ... that is until your bees are ready to go in the hive..... that is a whole other post.

You will find that there are so many ways to keep bees. Some prefer one method and others swear that is the most absolute wrong way. As with anything you have to find your own rhythm and learn practices that you are comfortable with. Do research, try and find a mentor, attend meetings and enjoy the journey.


Happy Keeping and Bee Safe!


For all of my hive bodies and tools I have used:

Mann Lake

   

Joy GIVEAWAY

       I have great news to share with you today. Anyone who knows me personally knows that Joy is a blend that is a household staple. Joy is the very first oil we bought well over a year ago. Little did I know that one oil would lead me on an incredible journey to help promote my overall wellness and give me opportunity to meet some fantastic people. I am going to be dedicating my time and efforts into doing Young Living product reviews here and on YouTube and I would love for you to join me. I wanted to extend a giveaway in celebration of my (almost) 6 months with Young Living. To one lucky reader I will be doing a drawing via rafflecopter and mailing you 100% free of charge a bottle of Joy essential oil. I feel that everyone needs some Joy in their life. Now the important part.....HOW TO ENTER! There are quite a few ways to enter and win! May the odds be ever in your favor.

a Rafflecopter giveaway





Love to my Teams!!

Advocating For My Family

    Today I come to you as a woman, mother and all around frazzled human being. We recently relocated to a new state for my husbands job. It has been a good thing for our family but hard on me as an individual. I have tried to stay positive but failed attempts at mom groups and the overall self absorbed nature of the community we moved to has led to less than favorable social situations ( which I thrive on). I have leaned heavily on God, and essential oils. My two comforts that I can have no matter where I go. God is understandable, but essential oils? I know you are thinking yeah freaking right. I would probably feel the same way reading someone else's post. However, no matter what you think I tell you honestly that I have used essential oils as not only a way to help myself and my family's overall well being but as a way to live life with purpose. Let me explain. Before we moved I was very nonchalant about what I used in my home. After all we are all going to die sometime right>? Yes, but that is no reason to speed the process along by living in a home full of chemicals. Lets be honest, there are enough other chemicals we are exposed to without adding to the cocktail. After purging sooooooooo muuuuuuuuucccccchhhhhhh stuuuuuuuufffffffff I realized that I surrounded myself with quantity not quality. The new house we have doesn't afford me a bunch of spare room like my old home did. Through mindful prayer and some hefty tears I decided to try and live life with more of an advocate of my home mentality. We have gradually started switching over to using essential oils in our day to day cleaning with Thieves Household Cleaner and we have replaced all the plug ins with a few diffusers. I no longer use perfume with alcohol that dries and irritates my skin but instead like to change up between Joy and Stress AwayBlends. My laundry is washed in simple homemade blend with added essential oils to still feed that "clean smell" we all have grown to love. I love that I can close my eyes and take a deep breath and breathe in a variety of different fresh scents that not only smell good but promote my overall well being. You cannot tell me that in the dead of winter you don't miss fresh floral or citrus scents. I will call your bluff, every time. Essential oils have afforded me both and a whole lot more. I have found a grounding comfort in my essential oils and living a life with purpose has been therapeutic mentally and physically. So when you ask me why, I say why not advocate for yourself , your family and your environment. Now is better than never.


If you have any questions: infinitedabbler@gmail.com
Or for you independent folks:  http://yl.pe/3ck4

Acai Berry Colon Cleanse & Detox

Let's talk poo. Not the cuddly bear but the waste. We all do it and we all eat junk we probably shouldn't. Our bodies are super complex and as such they store up unfavorables that should otherwise not be there. Yes, before you say anything more I did volunteer to test a product that cleanses, do you see the sacrifices I do for you, my lovely loyal readers!?! Appreciate! lol.  That is why I highly recommend the Acai Berry Colon Cleanse & Detox. First and foremost I know that most people pronounce this wrong so sound it out with me ah (like open for the dentist) -si (like the fave uncle on that duck show)-ee (like the letter) ah-si-ee. Ok, not that that is out of the way lets talk some poo.First off, these are pills and not a drink mix that you have to gag down. This bottle contains a 30 day supply for a nice long detox. The Supplement People have put out a good product. Not only did it cleanse, you ask how do I know? Well lets just say that it either cleaned out my colon or I shat death into the toilet. Either way I see it as a win win. But also, it was not a forceful or immediate cleanse, like preparing for a colonoscopy, but rather just a normal movement. I urge you to make sure you are drinking plenty of water and light exercise will do wonders in keeping your guts healthy. And to be fair, who cannot benefit from some light exercise? I know I need it :) So all in all I really have nothing bad to say about the #AcaiBerryColonCleanseAndDetox. If you are in the market for a cleanse take time to check this out! You can get it on Amazon here and if you have prime shipping you are set!

** I did receive this product for free for my honest review. All opinions are solely mine**

Titanium Herb Grinder Review

I was given the opportunity to  review an herb grinder, Not just any herb grinder but a Titanium 4 Piece Herb Grinder. I must admit I have never used an herb grinder before so I was a little bit nervous. I am not always the best in figuring out functionality. I am happy to say that there were no issues in how to use it or difficulty cleaning it. I liked the magnetic top that secured the two grinder pieces nicely and the threads to screw the pieces together were smooth and not a struggle to match up. I ground up rose petals for a bath and was quite pleased how uniform the pieces ended up after grinding. If you have dried herbs you want to add to a dish and don't to buy herbs at the store that are not at the pique of freshness I recommend grinding your own. You could also make your own blends in this manner also......... the possibilities are endless. Your kitchen is not complete until you have #ElCoquiGrinders in it.

** I received this product for free for my honest review. All opinions are solely mine.**