First off - thanks to those who offered kind thoughts and wishes about Donna's health (see post below). The verdict: an inner ear virus. YUCKY, no fun - and nothing that can be done about it other than lots of rest. So I, Maggie, will probably be womaning the shop for a bit. :)

Secondly - Dang, you guys like those lotion bars, huh?? Our winner of last weeks Friday Freebie - a lotion bar of her choice - is Rebecca! (the 3rd commenter).

Before I announce the next Friday Freebie - blog regulars, check out the Jan 29th entry for a different and extra-special blog giveaway! And if you click on the blue world logo, you'll be taken to a page where hundreds (and HUNDREDS) of other bloggers around the world are offering givewaways too! I would not suggest trying this until you have at least an hour to spare. (personal experience speaking, here.)


Well, Valentine's Day is coming up - and so I think we'll offer an 8 oz. bottle of our Bath, Body and Masage oil for this week's Friday Freebie!

We really aren't into the commercialism of Valentine's Day. BUT, it is a delightful reminder for us all to spend quality time with the one(s) we love! Not just the smoochy-romantic type of love - but also the love we feel for our friends and family, and pets! One wonderful way to show someone how much you care for them is with a delightful massage. Loving touch can be soothing, sensual, relaxing, stimulating, or just plain comforting - whatever you choose.

You don't have to be a massage therapist to give a massage - simply do a bit of reading, and then ask your partner to give you feedback on how you are doing. Here are a few great links to free information about massage:

How To Give a Foot Massage
How to Massage Dog Ears (Our doggies looooove this!)
How to Massage the Elderly or the Ill
How To Give a Back Massage
Infant Massage
How to Massage Your Cat
How to Massage a Horse

Patchouli or Jasmine are delightful for a sensual massage. Lavender is wonderful for a relaxing massage. Rosemary Mint is wonderful for aching muscles, or to help stimulate joints or muscles. We even have a special massage oil just for babies! The winner of our massage oil will get to choose his or her favorite scent. :)

Of course you can also use this moisturizing oil in a bath, or just smooth it on your skin as a moisturizer.

If you'd like to win an 8 oz. bottle of our Bath, Body and Massage Oil - you must leave a comment on today's blog post.

Rules:
1) One entry per person.
2) You must have a registered ID to post - if your post shows up under "anonymous", we don't know who you are, and therefore you can't win.
3) You have until the next Thursday at midnight, CST, to enter your comment.
4) Winner will be announced the following Friday - you must check back to see if it's you!
5) International folks are welcome. We ship Prairieland Herbs items all over the world, so we'll ship our "Friday freebie" anywhere too!
6) Each eligible post will be assigned a number, and we'll use a free online random number generator to determine the winner.

Just in case anyone reading this blog is planning to stop by the store today - Donna is REAL sick. :( Some sort of Evil Death Flu. I'm taking her to the doctor this afternoon, so, we will be closed from about noon until whenever we get back. Sorry everyone!

This is our first time participating in this fantastic blogging giveaway event, One World One Heart - and we're just thrilled! This is a fun event designed to help encourage friendship and communication with folks from all over the world - oh, and you could win cool free stuff too!

For this event, we are giving away THREE of these wonderful little "Hair Affair Kits" - as we call them. It's a little set that includes 3 sample-sized bars of our bestselling shampoo bars, and a 2 oz. bottle of our Herbal Hair Vinegar.

Our shampoo bars are one of our best-selling items - we routinely ship them to customers all over the world, so we thought this was an appropriate giveaway item! If you'd like to read more about our shampoo bars, please read our FAQ about them. In short, they are handmade, natural bars that you use to wash your hair. Our customers tell us they make their hair shiny, bouncy, and fragrant. We have been using them ourselves for years and years, and LOVE them!



To register to win one of these sets, you must:
1) Leave a comment on THIS BLOG POST
2) The comment MUST INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS - so we can contact you if you are a winner!

That is all! We will choose the winner on Feb. 11th, and announce it here on this blog on the 12th.

If you like natural bodycare products, please visit our website at prairielandherbs.com. We have been in business for over 10 years, making fine handmade herbal bodycare products.

If you enjoy crafting, creating or cooking, please check out our selection of free herbal recipes!

And last but certainly not least - please consider subscribing to this blog - we have a "Freebie Friday" giveaway EVERY WEEK - we choose a new and wonderful even for you to win. All you have to do is leave a comment - and then check back next Friday to see if you have won! (Once again, our Freebie Friday blog giveaway is open to our international friends).

Thanks for looking, and good luck!

This recipe is not in any way herbal, but it is super-delicious, and I thought some of you might enjoy it. Warning: this is really, really, really addicitive.

REALLY addictive. (just so you can't say that I didn't warn you).

Apple Toffee Dip
by Robin Warren

1 cup marshmallow cream
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 oz. package English toffee bits.

Mix all ingredients together with electric mixer, and serve with sliced apples or pears.

Did I mention it was addictive?

Just a quick note for local folks - check out the great free (or very low cost) programs offered by our local County Conservation office. I'm continually astounded by the wonderful programs they have! Want to learn about owls, how to do fly-tying, cross-country ski, compost with worms, or build bluebird houses? Dallas County Conservation has it all!

And the folks at Polk County Conservation are offering snow-shoeing, ice fishing, day trips, night hikes, and much more!

Check out your local County Conservation office to see what fantastic opportunities are available in your area!

Do you want to retain the right to purchase handmade children's toys and clothing from small businesses?

If so, please read this information, and sign the petition against a badly-worded, short-sighted law that would put thousands of artisans, toymakers, and small-business owners out of work.

Handmade Toy Alliance

Because you asked - snow photos!

We got 4-5 inches of very light and fluffy snow last night. So this morning I grabbed my old decrepit (but still working) digital camera and snapped a few pics. Above, you can see some beautiful rosehips just piled with light fluffy snow.

Here is a sage plant.
This is an anise hyssop seedhead.

And purple coneflower seedheads. I love how all the plants look like they're wearing little snowhats!

And a picture of the fencepost, wearing it's little snowhat. So cute. :) The nice thing about this light fluffy snow is that it's easy to shovel. The bad thing? When we get wind (which we always do -Iowa is, I believe, the 5th windiest state), it can easily create dangerous driving conditions due to blowing snow, which reduces visibility, creates slick spots on the roads, and can make massive snowdrifts.

Ah, such is life in the heartland.....